.i^s^'^^mce}^ 


eS  10  1920 


A- 


'^061UI%1'^^ 


BS  2505  .J64  1919 
Johnsen,  E.  Kr.  1863-1923 
Paul  of  Tarsus 


E.  KR.  JOHNSEN 


PAUL  OF  TARSUS 


Paul-A  Character  Sketch     .  '^^  ^^-^^^^ 


\-. 


Of  nn.'' 


II 


Paulas  Epistles 


Bv 

E.  KR.  JOHNSEN 

Professor  of  Theology  at  Luther  Theological  Seminary 
St.  Anthony  Park,  St.  Paul,  Minn. 


MINNEAPOLIS,  MINN. 

AUGSBURG  PUBLISHING  HOUSE 
J9I9 


Copyright,  1919,  by 

AUGSBURG  PUBLISHING  HOUSE 

Minneapolis,  Minn. 


JVly  sincere  thanks  to  my  friend  Mr.  Peer  Str0mme 
for  his  very  valuable  assistance  with  the  English  edi- 
tion of  this  book- 


E.  KR.  JOHNSEN. 


Luther  Theological  Seminary, 
St.  Anthony  Park.  St.  Paul, 
in  June.  1919 


I 

i 


PAUL 

A  Character  Sketch 


L    Judaism  and  Paganism. 

"For  there  is  no  difference  between  the  Jew  and  the  Greek ; 
for  the  same  Lord  over  all  is  rich  unto  all  that  call  upon 
Him"  (Rom.  10:12). 

In  the  army  of  the  Lord's  witnesses  during  the  time 
of  the  New  Covenant  are  many  great  men  whose  work 
is  of  lasting  importance;  but  above  them  all  looms  up 
the  heroic  figure  of  Paul  of  Tarsus.  The  Lord  had 
chosen  him  for  a  most  difficult  and  essential  task  in 
the  establishment  of  the  Kingdom ;  doubtless  the  most 
difficult  position  in  which  any  man  has  been  placed. 
There  was  imposed  on  Paul  a  task  demanding  the  very 
highest  personal  qualities.  There  was  a  great  fight  be- 
fore him.  But  he  entered  it  fearlessly,  and  the  Lord 
was  with  him. 

We  often  speak  of  Paul  as  the  Apostle  of  the  Gen- 
tiles, or  as  the  first  Christian  missionary ;  and  this  is 
true  enough  as  far  as  it  goes.  But  he  was  much  more 
than  this.  We  shall  come  nearer  to  the  truth  of  the 
matter  by  noting  the  passage  above  quoted  from  Ro- 
mans, a  passage  that  embraces  in  a  few  words  the 
truth  that  Paul  was  to  put  forward  and  defend.  He 
was  to  tear  down  the  wall  that  for  two  thousand  years 
had  been  built  up  between  Jew  and  Gentile.  It  was 
his  mission  to  bring  together  again  those  who  had  gone 
their  separate  ways  since  the  time  when  the  Lord  let 
them  that  turned  the  truth  into  falsehood,  and  wor- 
shiped and  served  the  creature  rather  than  the  Creator, 
walk  according  to  their  own  perverted  minds,  while  He 
chose  the  believing  Abraham  and  his  descendants  to  be 
His  own  peculiar  people. 


The  different  peoples  had  through  many  generations 
developed  along  distinct  lines,  until  there  was  a  wide 
cleavage  in  almost  every  phase  of  life.  And  now  that 
which  had  been  separated  was  to  be  united.  All  bar- 
riers were  to  be  broken  down  and  the  hearts  bound 
together  by  faith  in  the  one  true  God  and  the  Glad 
Tidings  concerning  salvation-  in  Christ  Jesus;  faith  in 
the  Gospel  which  is  the  power  of  God  unto  salvation 
for  all  who  believe,  the  Jew  first,  and  also  the  Greek. 
And  the  many  thus  united  were  to  be  the  new  Israel, 
the  Lord's  Church  on  earth.  As  we  see,  Paul  had  been 
given  a  stupendous  task,  one  most  essential  in  God's 
gracious  plan  of  salvation;  and  the  acceptance  of  Paul's 
preaching  as  the  truth  must  of  necessity  result  in  a  re- 
adjustment of  life  in  its  every  aspect. 

This  great  upheaval  in  the  history  of  mankind  was 
an  inevitable  result  of  the  coming  of  Jesus.  His  life 
and  death  and  resurrection  mark  the  turning-point  in 
the  history  of  God's  Kingdom,  the  transition  from  the 
Old  to  the  New  Covenant ;  the  old  order  of  things  was 
at  an  end,  and  the  new  was  to  begin.  The  Kingdom 
of  God  had  embraced  only  the  Jews.  The  Law  from 
Sinai  had  been  their  bond  of  union,  tJie  means  by 
which  Israel  was  made  ready  for  the  New  Covenant. 
Now  this  was  finished,  and  the  new  time  was  begun  by 
the  accomplishment  of  the  work  of  Christ.  Instead  of 
being  limited  to  a  certain  people,  the  Kingdom  of  God 
was  now  to  be  found  in  the  Christian  Church,  which  is 
for  all  people;  and  faith  in  Jesus,  who  was  crucified 
and  rose  again,  is  the  tie  which  binds  the  believer  to 
the  God  of  love. 

No  other  man  saw  these  truths  so  clearly  as  did 
Paul.  The  Lord  let  him  penetrate  more  deeply  than 
any  other  mortal  into  the  mysteries  of  His  plan  of  sal- 
vation. It  was  given  to  others  among  the  apostles  to 
look    deeply    into   certain    other   matters.      The    apostle 


John,  for  instance,  had  received  of  the  Spirit  a  wonder- 
fully clear  insight  into  the  relation  between  Father  and 
Son.  Still,  Paul  was  the  one  man  especially  favored 
with  spiritual  wisdom.  There  are  varied  gifts ;  but  God 
is  always  able  to  find  the  right  man  on  whom  to  bestow 
His  special  grace. 

Jew — Judaism.  These  words  need  but  to  ])e  men- 
tioned, and  they  at  once  lead  our  thoughts  to  a  people 
that  in  a  special  degree  is  distinctive;  a  people  tireless 
and  persistent,  holding  fast  the  old  inherited  mode  of 
thinking  and  living.  Centuries  come  and  go;  but  the 
Jews  remain,  and  have  the  same  old  religious  view- 
point. There  is  no  parallel  case  in  all  history.  This 
little  people  has  been  knocked  about  from  pillar  to  post 
by  the  great  powers,  but  none  has  been  able  to  exter- 
minate the  Jewish  race.  Judaism  has  remained  true  to 
itself  through  all  the  many  kinds  of  spiritual  weather. 
To  be  sure,  there  are  many,  especially  among  Jews 
of  the  so-called  upper  classes,  who  have  discarded  the 
old  faith ;  but  the  masses  of  the  people  still  hold  on  to 
the  old  moorings. 

The  religious  concept  which  we  call  Judaism  is  very 
old.  We  find  it  in  its  essential  features  in  the  scribes 
and  Pharisees  of  the  time  of  Christ.  It  was  given  form 
and  substance  during  the  period  between  the  home- 
coming from  Babylonia  and  the  destruction  of  Jeru- 
salem. 

Between  Judaism  and  Christianity  there  must  of 
necessity  be  a  mighty  struggle ;  they  neither  should  nor 
could  be  united.  The  position  taken  by  the  Jews  to- 
ward the  Savior  makes  it  clear,  also,  that  the  Jewish 
leaders  had  at  least  an  inkling  of  the  truth  that  there 
must  be  a  war  to  the  death — a  truth  which  Jesus  did  not 
hide.  His  life  became  a  fight  against  the  Judaism  of 
the  Pharisees ;  and  He  did  not  spare  them  and  their 
habits  of  thought.     He  says:  ''Neither  do  men  put  new 


10 

Avine  into  old  bottles,  else  the  bottles  break,  and  the  wine 
runneth  out,  and  the  bottles  perish;  but  they  put  new- 
wine  into  new  bottles,  and  both  are  preserved."  In 
these  words  He  points  out  to  His  disciples  the  impos- 
sibility of  combining"  the  Judaism  of  that  time  with  the 
Christian  faith.  Here  there  is,  then,  a  conflict  between 
two  strong  spiritual  powers;  and  the  following  pages 
will  to  a  large  extent  deal  with  this  conflict. 

No  matter  where  the  Jew  was,  he  always  felt  him- 
self a  Jew ;  and  no  matter  how  prosperous  he  might  be, 
his  thoughts  went  out  to  the  land  which  God  had  given 
to  Israel — that  always  remained  his  homeland.  And 
the  center  of  it  was  the  royal  city,  and  particularly  the 
temple.  This  was  the  place  where  God  was  to  be 
worshiped.  To  indicate,  then,  that  the  city  and  temple 
were  always  in  his  thoughts,  he  turned  his  face  toward 
Jerusalem  whenever  he  offered  prayer;  and  though  he 
might  be  in  a  distant  coilntry,  he  did  not  neglect  to 
send  his  annual  offering  to  the  temple.  In  the  holiday 
season,  especially  at  the  time  of  Easter,  great  numbers 
of  pilgrims  came  to  Jerusalem;  and  among  them  were 
to  be  seen  Jews  from  the  most  distant  corners  of  the 
vast  Roman  empire.  People  were  drawn  to  Jerusalem 
by  the  beauty  of  the  Jewish  service.  Here  was  the 
high  priest  in  his  splendid  robes,  besides  the  host  of 
Levitical  priests  and  temple  servants.  Here  were  the 
offerings,  the  singing  of  hymns,  the  sounding  of 
trumpets,  and  the  wondrously  beautiful  temple  itself. 
Nowhere  else  in  the  world  could  the  Israelite  find  any- 
thing like  this  to  sound  his  deepest  heart-strings: 

"If  I  forget  thee,  O  Jerusalem, 

Let  my  right  hand  forget  her  cunning. 

If  I  do  not  remember  thee. 

Let. my  tongue  cleave  to  the  roof  of  my  mouth; 
i  If  I  prefer  not  Jerusalem 

r  Above  my  chief  joy." 


11 

Jerusalem  was  not,  however,  merely  the  Jewish 
place  of  worship,  but  also  the  spiritual  and  intellectual 
center  of  the  Jews  in  general.  Here  was  the  hearth  of 
Judaism;  the  tie  which  was  to  prove  itself  strong  to 
bind  the  people  together,  even  when  the  city  and  the 
temple  were  fallen.  This  spirit  was  kept  alive  and 
developed  by  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees.  There  arose 
no  more  any  prophets  in  Israel  who  with  divine  author- 
ity could  punish  the  people  for  their  sins  and  lead  them 
in  the  right  paths ;  and  the  priests  had  long  since  lost 
their  power  to  direct  the  spiritual  life  of  the  masses. 
The  Scribes  and  Pharisees  had  thus  become  the  leaders 
of  thought;  and  they  had  their  golden  age  at  the  time 
when  the  Christian  Church  was  being  founded.  The 
writings  of  the  prophets  had  been  pushed  aside  by  the 
Law  of  Moses.  The  Scribes,  and  others  learned  in  the 
Law,  were  well  informed  on  all  its  precepts;  and  it 
was  their  business  to  apply  these  to  all  the  affairs  of 
life  and  to  instruct  the  people  in  every  duty. 

These  teachers  were  highly  regarded  by  the  people, 
and  were  called  by  the  honorable  title  of  Rabbi.  Now, 
according  to  the  rabbinical  idea  the  pupil  owed  more 
to  his  teacher  than  to  his  father;  the  father  was  merely 
the  author  of  the  child's  present  life,  while  the  teacher 
instructed  his  pupil  in  wisdom  and  thus  fitted  him  for 
the  higher  Hfe  in  the  world  to  come.  The  pupils  should 
therefore  look  up  to  their  teachers  with  a  reverent  fear 
almost  equal  to  that  with  which  they  approached  God, 
and  they  must  in  no  wise  change  anything  of  that  which 
the  teachers  had  told  them.  It  chanced  that  shortly  be- 
fore this  time  flourished  the  two  greatest  of  the  Jewish 
scribes  and  teachers,  Hillel  and  Sjammai  (Gamaliel). 
Each  of  these  had  a  host  of  pupils. 

The  larger  number  of  the  scribes, — that  is.  those 
learned  in  the  Law — belonged  to  the  strict  sect  of  the 
Pharisees,  who  hated  everything  foreign  and   regarded 


12 

the  traditions  of  old  as  the  one  and  only  truth ;  and 
they  applied  these  precepts  with  great  strictness  to  their 
own  conduct,  and  more  especially  to  the  conduct  of 
others.  Besides  this  sect,  there  were  the  Sadducees, 
who  were  more  friendly  to  foreign  ideas,  and  did  not 
put  faith  in  the  traditions,  but  kept  themselves  to  the 
written  Law.  Their  ideas  in  regard  to  the  traditions 
caused  them  to  reject  many  doctrines  taught  by  the 
Pharisees,  who  nevertheless  had  by  far  the  larger  fol- 
lowing among  the  common  people. 

In  a  general  way  the  principles  in  which  the  people 
were  instructed  were  these:  The  Law  is  of  the  essence 
of  God,  and  its  precepts  limit  even  God's  own  acts;  in 
it  He  has  included  all  things  necessary  to  salvation. 
Therefore  it  needs  no  additions,  and  it  is  valid  for  all 
time  and  eternity.  To  begin  with,  God  had  intended  all 
peoples  to  have  this  Law,  but  only  Israel  was  ready  to 
receive  it ;  and  so  Israel  became  God's  Chosen  People 
to  the  exclusion  of  the  rest  of  the  world.  The  Law 
was  thus  the  tie  between  God  and  Israel.  None  other 
than  Israel  has  this  Law;  therefore  it  makes  sure  the 
salvation  of  Israel,  and  therefore  the  Israelite  must 
love  the  Law  as  his  greatest  treasure,  and  live  accord- 
ing to  it.  The  truly  pious  should  devote  himself  ex- 
clusively to  studying  the  Law  and  keeping  its  com- 
mandments ;  and  so  the  Pharisee,  who  was  learned  in 
the  Law,  must  be  regarded  as  of  the  highest  rank  in 
piety. 

In  the  Law  God  makes  his  demands  and  these  the 
Israelites  must  fulfil ;  then  he  has  the  right  to  be  re- 
warded of  God.  However,  as  one  may  easily  commit 
sin,  every  man  should  strive  to  do  so  many  good  works 
that  he  may  be  able  with  them  to  pay  the  debt  which 
he  owes  by  reason  of  his  sins;  and  if  the  account  shows 
a  favorable  balance  the  m^n  is  righteous.  The  Jews 
could   not  conceive  of   forgiveness   when   payment   had 


13 

not  been  made ;  and  the  Scribes  had  invented  many 
things  which  were  to  count  as  fulfilment  of  the  Law  and 
payment  for  sin.  The  final  balance  would  be  struck  at 
the  time  of  a  man's  death ;  and  then  all  would  depend 
on  the  question  whether  or  not  the  footing  was  greater 
on  the  credit  than  on  the  debit  side  of  the  ledger. — 
This  doctrinal  system  paved  a  smooth  road  for  hy- 
pocrisy, intolerance  and  narrowness. 

The  Law  rested  as  a  heavy  burden  on  the  people 
and  destroyed  the  peace  of  mind  and  conscience  of  such 
as  took  their  duties  seriously.  The  great  masses  con- 
tented themselves  with  professing  belief  in  that  which 
the  teachers  told  them,  and  with  trying  to  live  according 
to  this  teaching;  and  as  for  the  rest,  they  comforted 
themselves  with  old  legends  or  fantastic  stories  about 
the  conditions  in  the  coming  Messianic  Kingdom,  and 
with  the  thought  that  they  were  of  God's  Chosen 
People. 

Thus  they  busied  themselves  with  the  temple  and 
the  Law  and  the  election  of  Israel ;  and  they  were,  as  we 
readily  see,  far  away  from  the  principles  of  the  Chris- 
tian faith. 

la  the  case  of  these  who  had  been  nourished  on 
the  Judaism  of  the  Pharisees,  to  become  a  Christian 
meant  a  radical  change;  as  also  in  the  case  of  the  gentle 
souls  who  found  comfort  in  the  old  prophesies  and 
were  waiting  for  the  day  of  the  Lord,  on  which  the 
Messiah  would  be  revealed.  They  had  grown  up  in 
the  atmosphere  of  the  Old  Covenant,  and  now  all  this 
was  to  be  changed  and  a  new  day  was  to  dawn.  The 
transition  could  not  be  a  step  easily  taken.  We  see 
this  most  clearly  in  the  disciples  of  Christ.  They  had 
been  educated  as  Jews  and  their  mode  of  thought  was 
Jewish,  and  now  they  were  to  leave  the  old  and  set  out 
on  new  and  unknown  paths.  We  have  in  the  Gospel 
accounts  many  examples  of  the  way  in  which  the  Master 


14 

had  to  lead  them  gently  and  step  by  step.  There  was 
so  much  which  they  "could  not  bear."  But  little  by  little 
their  eyes  were  opened  to  the  glory  of  the  new  order 
above  the  old ;  while  the  Spirit  of  truth,  whom  the  Lord 
sent  them  after  His  ascension,  guided  them  all  the  time 
into  a  better  understanding  of  the  truth. 

It  goes  without  saying  that  the  changing  of  a 
heathen  into  a  Christian  must  mean  a  most  radical  revo- 
lution in  habits  of  thought  and  life.  Most  of  the 
peoples  to  whom  the  Gospel  first  came  were  under  the 
influence  of  the  Greek  spirit  with  its  real  or  pretended 
superiority  over  all  other  forms  of  culture.  Rome  was 
all-powerful  in  the  domain  of  politics,  and  ruled  with 
an  iron  hand  from  the  distant  regions  of  the  Euphrates 
and  the  Tigris  in  the  east  to  the  shores  of  the  Atlantic, 
and  from  the  desert  of  Sahara  north  to  Britain ;  but 
Rome  had  adopted  the  Greek  culture  and  refinement  in 
the  art  of  living,  and  the  Greek  language  was  spoken, 
or  understood,  in  most  parts  of  the  vast  empire. 

And  now  there  came  a  new  religion,  whose  spokes- 
men were  despised  Jews,  a  religion  which  asked  people 
to  believe  in  a  crucified  malefactor  as  the  Son  of  God. 
It  is  no  wonder  that  this  message,  which  was  a  stum- 
bling-block to  the  Jews,  seemed  to  the  Greeks  the  very 
perfection  of  foolishness.  But  both  Jew  and  Gentile 
were  to  experience  that  in  this  Gospel  dwelt  the  divine 
power  and  wisdom  which  put  to  shame  the  wisdom  of 
the  Greeks. 

At  this  time,  when  Christianity  was  born,  the  Greek- 
speaking  world  could  look  back  on  a  culture  which  was 
many  centuries  old.  The  Greeks  prided  themselves  on 
being  the  leaders  of  the  world  in  the  arts  and  sciences. 
Their  artists,  savants  and  poets  had  no  rivals.  The 
Greek  artists  beautified  the  palaces  of  the  rich,  the 
temples  and  public  places  with  paintings  and  sculpture 
which  still  are  the  wonder  of  the  world.     The  scientists 


15 

sought  to  solve  the  riddle  of  life  by  clever  speculations, 
and  the  poets  wrote  elegant  verse  in  praise  of  life  and 
pleasure.  This  was  the  boast  of  the  Greek.  But  the 
Romans  pointed  with  equal  pride  to  the  mighty  armies 
which  shook  the  earth  beneath  their  heavy  tread  and 
made  people  after  people  subject  to  Rome.  When 
Caesar  commanded,  the  world  obeyed,  and  this  vast  em- 
pire was  administered  with  admirable  efficiency.  How 
preposterous  to  think  that  Romans  could  learn  any- 
thing from  Jews ! 

Both  Greek  and  Romans  had  formerly  worshiped 
a  number  of  gods.  But  at  the  time  of  Christ,  the  faith 
in  these  gods  had  pretty  well  died  out  among  people 
of  the  upper  classes  and  in  the  large  cities.  In  the  rural 
communities,  in  isolated  valleys,  faith  in  the  old  gods 
persisted,  and  heathen  ideas  remained  alive  several  hun- 
dred years  after  this  time  in  many  places  within  the 
empire.  People  in  the  upper  strata  of  society  had,  how- 
ever, generally  lost  all  veneration  for  the  old  gods.  To 
be  sure,  they  had  not  openly  broken  with  paganism ; 
such  a  break  was  regarded  as  endangering  the  security 
of  the  State.  But  the  philosophers  and  poets  had 
taught  them  to  think  of  the  ancient  godlore  as  nothing 
more  than  poetic  representations  of  different  phases  of 
life.  The  rich  and  their  philosophers  looked  down  with 
contempt  on  the  great  ignorant  masses,  and  were  puffed 
up,  and  lived  in  an  atmosphere  of  pride  and  heartless 
selfishness. 

Other  philosophers  were  to  be  found  among  the 
common  people,  whom  they  were  supposed  to  educate. 
But  as  a  rule  these  teachers  undermined  all  religion  and 
morality,  and  caused  the  people  to  lose  respect  for  both. 

The  upper  classes  were  permeated  with  indifference 
to  the  higher  things ;  with  an  insane  love  of  money  and 
luxury,  and  a  life  of  gluttony  and  sensuality.  And  the 
lower  classes  imitated  those  higher  up,  and  their  love  of 


pleasure  degenerated  into  vulgar  bestiality.  Paul's  de- 
scription of  heathenism  in  the  Roman  empire  (Rom.  1 : 
18-32),  is  not  an  exaggeration,  but  merely  the  sober 
truth.  The  great  cities  with  their  riches  and  many 
opportunities  for  all  sorts  of  pleasures  and  temptations 
had  a  terrible  influence  on  the  people. 

The  picture  of  the  old  paganism  might  be  made 
even  darker  without  being  overdrawn ;  but  enough  has 
been  said  to  make  it  plain  that  neither  art  nor  science 
is  able  to  make  a  man  strong  to  resist  temptation,  nor 
to  keep  people  from  living  a  life  of  sensuality  and 
wickedness.  Still,  there  are  some  gleams  of  light  even 
in  this  darkness. 

The  apostle  Paul  knew  some  pagans  who  did  the 
works  of  the  Law ;  though  they  did  not  have  the 
written  Law,  as  did  the  Jews.  But  they  obeyed  the 
voice  of  conscience,  and  led  a  decent  and  reputable  life. 
Some  such  persons  there  were  in  the  Greek-Roman 
pagan  world.  Many  felt  keenly  the  want  of  a  god 
whom  they  might  worship,  and  to  whom  they  could 
keep  themselves  in  the  many  changes  and  uncertainties 
of  life.  They  had  lost  their  faith  in  the  old  gods,  and 
were  looking  for  a  new  religion  which  might  bring 
peace  to  their  souls.  In  these  circles  it  had  become 
more  and  more  the  custom  to  expect  this  new  religion 
from  one  of  the  peoples  in  the  East.  Several  of  the 
eastern  religions  had  a  certain  air  of  mystery  besides  a 
number  of  clever  stories  and  impressive  ceremonies, 
which  held  a  strong  fascination  for  people  who  were 
dissatisfied  with  their  old  and  empty  religion.  Thus, 
several  of  these  eastern  religions,  such  as  those  from 
Egypt  and  Persia,  gained  many  adherents  among  the 
Romans  and  Greeks ;  and  in  many  places  in  the  empire 
there  were  secret  societies  into  which  members  were  in- 
ducted with  mysterious  signs  and  dedicated  to  the 
divinity  of  the  society  in  question.     Many  of  these  east- 


17 

ern  religions  have  one  common  feature  in  that,  they 
say  something  about  atonement  and  immortahty;  and 
the  comfort  which  many  find  in  these  ideas  indicates 
what  it  is  that  they  desire.  This  need  of  having  a  true 
god  to  worship  is  evidenced  in  many  ways,  and  some- 
times finds  beautiful  expression.  Thus  we  have  these 
words  from  one  of  the  most  noble  thinkers  of  the  old 
world :  "When  you  have  closed  your  door  and  made  it 
dark  in  the  room,  then  do  not  say  that  you  are  alone ;, 
for  3^ou  are  not.  God  and  your  angel  are  with  you,  and' 
they  need  no  light  to  see  what  you  are  doing.  To  this. 
God  you  should  swear  allegiance." 

And  yet  this  thinker  did  not  know  the  God  who- 
seeth  in  secret.  Neither  this  man,  nor  any  priest  of  the 
secret  societies,  nor  any  one  else  was  able  to  give  the 
cup  of  comfort  to  the  thirsting  soul.  But  the  unknown 
God,  whose  saving  love  they  so  sorely  needed,  had  the 
Greeks  and  Romans  also  in  mind.  He  sent  them  an 
apostle  who  in  a  nocturnal  vision  had  seen  a  man  from 
the  Greek  peninsula,  who  approached  him  and  appealed 
to  him  saying:  "Come  over  to  Macedonia  and  help  us."" 


IL    Paul's  Childhood  and  Youth. 

"I  am  .  .  .  of  the  tribe  of  Benjamin^  an  Hebrew  of  the- 
Hebrews." 

Near  the  northeastern  corner  of  the  Mediterranean, 
just  north  of  the  island  of  Cyprus,  the  river  Cydnos 
flows  into  the  sea.  It  has  its  source  up  in  the  mountains^ 
of  Cappadocia,  and  meanders  down  through  varied  and 
beautiful  valleys  in  this  country  and  in  Cilicia  imtil  it 
reaches  the  great  sea.  The  clear  and  cool  waters  of  the 
river  invite  one  to  take  a  refreshing  bath  on  a  warm 


18 

day,  but  many  have  paid  dearly  for  it;  as  witness  the 
experience  of  the  victorious  Macedonian  king  Alex- 
ander the  Great.  A  short  distance  up  the  river  is  the 
city  of  Tarsus,  which  even  today  is  a  pretty  important 
and  lively  town,  though  not  by  far  so  large  and  thriv- 
ing as  it  was  nineteen  centuries  ago.  Tarsus  had  been 
founded  by  the  mighty  Assyrian  king  Sanherib,  and  had 
afterwards  been  the  residence  of  several  kings ;  and 
when  the  Macedonians,  and  later  on  the  Romans,  con- 
quered these  districts,  many  Greeks  settled  in  Tarsus, 
and  it  became  a  flourishing  trade  center.  It  had  its 
most  prosperous  period  during  the  first  century  after 
Christ. 

When  the  Greeks  came  to  a  place,  and  riches  ac- 
cumulated, the  place  was  apt  to  become  a  seat  of  learn- 
ing and  art ;  and  this  was  the  case  here  in  the  capital 
of  Cilicia.  Caesar  x\ugustus  had  greatly  promoted  the 
growth  of  Tarsus  by  making  it  one  of  the  free  cities 
of  the  empire.  There  were,  then,  many  things  favorable 
to  making  the  city  a  lively  and  attractive  place  of 
residence. 

Wherever  one  came  in  those  days,  particularly  in  the 
trade  centers,  he  would  find  larger  or  smaller  colonies 
of  Jews,  who  were  especially  successful  in  the  several 
handicrafts.  Also  in  Tarsus  there  were  many  Jews. 
Again,  wherever  Jews  were  found  they  formed  them- 
selves into  a  Congregation  in  order  that  they  might 
worship  God  together  and  be  instructed  in  the  Law. 
The  Jewish  Church  in  Tarsus  was  so  strong  that  it  had 
built  a  synagogue,  in  which  the  Jews  assembled,  es- 
pecially on  the  Sabbath.  Among  the  most  highly  es- 
teemed members  of  this  Church  we  find  a  certain  man 
of  the  tribe  of  Benjamin  and  the  sect  of  the  Pharisees. 
He  was  a  man  of  some  note  among  the  people  of 
Tarsus.  He,  or  one  of  his  forebears,  must  in  some  way 
have  deserved  the  favor  of  the  State,  for  the  Romans 


19 

had  done  him  the  honor  of  making  him  a  Roman 
citizen. 

In  this  city  Paul  was  born.  He  was  a  son  of  the 
Jew  above  referred  to;  and  while  the  exact  time  of  his 
birth  is  not  known,  it  is  probable  that  he  was  born  in 
the  year  10  a.  d._,  or  very  close  to  that  date.  On  the 
eighth  day  he  was  circumcised  and  given  the  name 
Saul.  This  was  his  Jewish  name;  but  the  Greeks 
changed  it  to  correspond  more  closely  with  their  speech, 
and  called  him  Pavlos,  or  Paul. 

We  can  readily  see  how  important  it  was  for  his 
later  life,  both  the  circumstance  that  he  grew  up  in  this 
thriving  Greek  city  and  also  the  fact  that  he  lived  in 
the  home  of  a  Pharisee.  Here  from  his  childhood  he 
came  to  know  the  two  distinct  races  which  it  was  to  be 
his  mission  to  unite  in  a  common  faith  in  the  one  God. 
Here  he  had  the  opportunity  to  study  the  Greek  folk- 
life;  and  though  he  could  not  understand  much  of  it 
when  as  a  child  he  played  in  the  streets  of  Tarsus,  it 
must  to  some  extent  have  remained  alive  in  his  mem- 
ory.  And  one  may  be  sure  that  his  father  did  not 
neglect  to  point  out  to  him  the  wide  difference  between 
a  Greek  pagan  and  a  believing  Jew.  But  even  more 
important  to  his  future  work  was  the  circumstance  that 
he  had  from  childhood  become  acquainted  with  the 
Greek   language. 

In  the  streets  and  in  the  market-place  he  came  to 
know  the  Greeks,  but  in  his  home  and  synagogue  he 
was  trained  according  to  the  rules  of  Judaism.  In  his 
home  he  saw  Judaism  in  its  most  attractive  form,  and  a 
fervent  love  for  Israel  followed  him  through  life ;  he 
never  was  ashamed  of  being  a  Jew. 

Jewish  parents  held  it  their  sacred  duty  to  keep 
watch  over  the  training  of  their  children;  and  these  al- 
ways received  in  the  home  their  first  instruction  con- 
cerning the  Lord  God  of  Israel.     The  discipline  was  of 


20 

course  strict,  particularly  in  the  home  of  a  Pharisee  of 
this  period.  We  can  not  doubt  that  the  father  of  Paul 
held  fast  as  a  first  principle  the  truth  that  the  fear  of 
God  is  the  beginning  of  wisdom  (Proverbs  1:7;  9:  10), 
and  early  impressed  on  his  son  that  the  child's  first  duty 
is  obedience  to  the  parents  (Proverbs  30:  17).  Moses 
had  earnestly  exhorted  Israel  to  instruct  their  children 
concerning  the  mighty  works  of  God  (Ex.  12:24— 
25;  13:8).  These  words  of  the  historian  Josephus  also 
show  how  the  people  of  that  day  regarded  the  matter: 
"We  lay  greater  stress  on  the  training  of  the  children 
than  on  anything  else,  and  regard  observance  of  the 
Law  and  a  corresponding  godly  life  as  the  most  im- 
portant of  all  duties."     (Cf.  also  2  Tim.  3:5.) 

In  the  home  the  little  children  were  taught  to  say 
their  prayers.  According  to  the  rules  of  the  teachers 
the  children  also  were  to  pray  the  chief  prayer  of  the 
Jews,  the  so-called  Schmone-Ezre,  morning,  noon  and 
night,  and  to  say  grace  before  and  after  eating.  (Cf. 
also  Matt.  14:19;  15:36;  Rom.  14:4;  1  Cor.  10:30; 
1  Tim.  4:4.)  Thus  the  children  in  the  homes  were  to 
learn  to  know  God  the  Father,  the  Creator  of  the  world 
and  Savior  of  Israel,  and  to  know  His  holy  will,  as  well 
as  to  learn  to  approach  Him  in  prayer.  It  goes  without 
saying  that  the  instruction  was  kept  within  the  rules  of 
Pharisaical  Judaism. 

Under  such  conditions  young  Saul  of  Tarsus  grew 
up.  When  he  was  six  years  old  his  father  sent  him 
to  the  school  at  the  synagogue.  As  a  rule  the  care-taker 
of  the  synagogue  was  also  the  school-teacher;  and  of 
course  the  main  purpose  of  the  instruction  was  to  train 
the  children  in  the  Law ;  therefore  they  must  learn  to 
read.  They  were  taught  also  the  art  of  writing,  in 
order  that  they  might  make  copies  of  certain  parts  of  the 
Law.  Still,  the  children  were  not  expected  to  observe  all 
the  Commandments  before  they  reached  the  age  of  13 ; 


but  they  must  from  early  childhood  learn  to  know  the 
Law  and  to  keep  as  many  as  they  could  of  its  precepts. 

Whether  or  not  young  Paul  was  sent  to  any  Greek 
school  we  do  not  know. 

It  soon  became  apparent  that  the  young  boy  had 
great  talent  and  depth  of  character,  and  so  his  father 
naturally  decided  to  give  him  a  chance  to  study  under 
the  best  teachers,  in  order  that  he  might  become  learned 
in  the  Scriptures;  for  to  the  Jew  this  was  the  greatest 
thing  in  Hfe.  The  father  therefore  took  the  boy  to 
Jerusalem  and  placed  him  with  the  famous  teacher 
Gamaliel.  This  eminent  scholar  was  soon  to  discover 
that  young  Saul  of  Tarsus  was  his  most,  willing  and 
highly  gifted  pupil,  a  thoroughly  trustworthy  youth  of 
the  greatest  promise;  for  the  youthful  Saul  was  sin- 
cere in  his  Judaism,  and  was  in  every  way  a  model  of 
a  young  Jewish  scholar. 

It  w-as  a  time  of  stress  in  the  country  of  the  Jews. 
The  Romans  ruled  the  land,  and  their  yoke  was  heavy 
on  Israel.  The  military  governors  appointed  by  the 
emperor  were  as  a  rule  far  from  being  men  of  high 
character.  Generally  they  were  cruel  tyrants,  whose 
joy  it  was  to  lord  it  over  the  subject  people  and  to 
plunder  them  in  order  to  enrich  themselves,  so  that 
they  could  afford  every  luxury  when  they  retired  from 
office  to  the  life  of  private  citizens  in  Rome.  It  is  no 
wonder  that  it  seethed  deep  in  the  hearts  of  the  people. 
Fanatical  agitators  traveled  through  the  country  and 
fanned  the  flames  of  revolt ;  and  nothing  but  the  fear  of 
Rome's  mighty  mailed  fist  kept  the  masses  fairly  loyal. 
The  popular  disaffection  found  expression  in  many 
songs  and  stories  which  circulated  everywhere ;  and 
many  prophecies  were  spread  from  house  to  house,  re- 
citing how  the  Lord  would  soon  be  moved  by  the  misery 
of  His  people,  and  would  send  the  promised  Messiah. 
And  this  expectation  was  all  the  time  growing  stronger. 


22 

Nor  was  everything  quiet  among  the  scribes  them- 
selves. There  were  two  distinct  schools  of  thought, 
which  were  pretty  sharply  opposed  to  each  other.  The 
one  school  embraced  the  adherents  of  the  great  rabbi 
Hillel,  while  the  other  consisted  of  the  rabbi  Shammai 
and  his  followers.  The  first  of  these  two  famous 
scholars  was  in  many  respects  a  commanding  person- 
ality, and  may  be  said  in  a  way  to  have  laid  the  foun- 
dation of  the  rabbinical  system  of  doctrine.  In  his 
interpretation  of  the  Law  he  is  more  liberal  than  is 
Shammai,  who  insisted  on  the  most  stringent  observance 
of  every  commandment.  Between  these  two  schools 
there  were  lengthy  controversies,  some  of  them  concern- 
ing matters  of  importance,  and  some  dealing  with  the 
merest  trivialities.  A  few^  of  these  matters  of  contro- 
versy are  mentioned  in  the  New  Testament  ( Matt.  5 : 
31;  19:7).  They  fought  over  the  question  of  divorce, 
fasting,  Levitical  uncleanness,  the  visiting  of  the  sick, 
etc.,  but  especially  on  what  was  and  was  not  permitted 
to  be  done  on  the  Sabbath.  And  the  controversies  de- 
generated into  quarrels  about  things  of  no  account  what- 
ever. Thus  the  "fight  about  the  egg''  is  somewhat 
famous.  According  to  the  Law  they  must  not  prepare 
food  on  the  Sabbath  day.  But  a  hen  might  take  it  into 
her  head  to  lay  an  egg  on  the  Sabbath ;  and  so  the  ques- 
tion arose  whether  or  not  it  would  be  right  to  eat  such 
an  egg.  Concerning  this  point  there  was  a  long  and 
learned  fight.  Shammai  and  his  school  were  fanatical 
and  aggressive,  while  Hillel  and  his  disciples  were  more 
moderate  and  yielding.  So  the  intolerant  and  strict  sect 
came  to  prevail;  and  Judaism  gradually  took  on  the 
dark  features  of  hatred  and  an  unforgiving  spirit,  which 
meet  us  in  Pharisaism  as  described  in  the  Gospels. 

Saul's  teacher,  Gamaliel,  was  a  grandson  of  Hillel 
and  followed  closely  in  his  steps.  He  was  a  Pharisee, 
but  of  the  moderate  school.     He  even  went  so  far  in  his 


23 

liberalism  that  as  a  member  of  the  Sanhedrin  he  spoke 
against  being  too  severe  with  the  Christians  (Acts  5: 
34-39).  It  is  also  said  of  him  that  he  acquainted  him- 
self with  the  works  of  the  Greek  authors,  and  that  he 
had  a  ring  with  a  graven  image  on  it,  something  which 
gave  great  offense  to  many  of  the  strict  Pharisees. 
Generally,  however,  he  was  held  in  high  esteem  by 
reason  of  his  great  learning  and  his  probity.  Under 
this  teacher,  then,  Saul  was  initiated  into  the  rabbinical 
interpretation  of  the  Old  Testament  books,  and  into  the 
current  doctrinal   system. 

While  Paul  was  thus  being  instructed  by  the  great 
teacher,  and  also,  in  accordance  with  custom,  was  being 
taught  a  handicraft — that  of  a  tentmaker — there  oc- 
curred something  which  caused  a  great  commotion.  It 
was  rumored  far  and  wide  that  there  had  arisen  a  new 
prophet,  with  the  fire  of  Elijah  on  his  tongue ;  a  strange 
hermit  in  a  cloak  of  camel's  hair,  who  was  to  be  found 
in  the  desert  places  by  the  river  Jordan.  Thousands 
were  hurrying  to  the  place  to  hear  this  mighty  preacher, 
w^ho  without  fear  or  favor  attacked  high  and  low,  and 
was  especially  severe  on  the  spiritual  leaders,  the 
Pharisees.  **Soon  the  Lord  will  come,  and  the  fan  is 
in  His  hand;  and  then  woe  to  all  who  in  impenitence 
and  hardness  of  heart  have  called  down  upon  them- 
selves the  wrath  of  God.  However,  there  is  yet  time 
to  turn  and  to  be  baptized  as  evidence  of  a  new  and 
higher  purpose;  for  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven  is  at 
hand.'"  This  was  the  gist  of  the  message  of  John  the 
Baptist. 

The  bold  preacher  in  the  wilderness  had  not  yet  paid 
with  his  life  for  his  fearless  statements,  when  there  had 
•arisen  another  Prophet,  who  was  to  have  a  much  greater 
influence  than  John  on  the  life  and  history  of  Israel. 
It  was  rumored  from  Galilee  that  a  young  carpenter 
of   Nazareth   had  begun  a   work  more   wonderful   than 


24 

anything  before  heard  of ;  lepers  were  healed,  the  blind 
received  sight,  the  ears  of  the  deaf  were  opened.  This 
Prophet  could  cure  all  disease  by  a  mere  word,  and 
He  was  able  to  provide  bread  for  thousands  in  the 
wilderness;  He  even  held  the  command  over  death  it- 
self, and  there  seemed  no  limit  to  His  power.  Besides, 
such  eloquence  as  His  had  never  before  been  heard. 
Wherever  He  went  the  people  came  to  Him;  and  to 
some  He  so  endeared  Himself  that  they  left  all  things 
and  followed  Him.  There  was  a  great  showing  of 
popular  enthusiasm:  A  Man  who  could  do  these  things 
must  be  the  Messiah,  who  had  been  promised  and  sorely 
wanted.  Now  He  was  come,  and  now  He  would  be 
proclaimed  King. 

For  a  time  it  looked  as  if  the  great  masses  would 
become  the  followers  of  this  Prophet ;  but  in  that  case 
the  Pharisees  would  lose  their  leadership,  and  the  proud 
doctrinal  structure  erected  with  so  much  pains  by  the 
doctors  of  the  Law  would  tumble  down.  This  must 
be  prevented  at  any  price ;  but  it  was  not  easy  to  find 
anything  which  could  be  used  against  Him.  At  last, 
however,  they  found  something  to  lay  hold  on,  in  that 
He  called  Himself  the  Son  of  God,  and  thus  was  guilty 
of  blasphemy,  the  punishment  for  which  was  death. 
They  thus  were  able  to  cause  the  hated  Nazarene  to  be 
nailed  to  the  accursed  tree;  but  they  had  gone  wide  of 
the  mark  in  estimating  the  result.  One  of  our  present- 
day  Jewish  historians,  noted  for  his  learning,  who  is 
not  himself  a  believer  in  Christ,  writes :  ''He  is  the  only 
Man  born  of  woman  of  whom  it  may  be  said  with  truth 
that  His  death  accomplished  more  than  His  life.  To 
the  historical  world  Calvary  became  a  new  Mount 
Sinai." 

These  events  took  place  while  Saul  was  in  Jerusalem 
as  the  pupil  of  Gamaliel.  But  he  was  at  the  time  a  mere 
youth,  hardly  20  years  old.     It  does  not.  appear  that  he 


25 

was  deeply  impressed  by  the  new  movement.  He  was 
diligently  pursuing  his  studies,  in  which  he  was  in- 
tensely interested,  and  he  did  not  for  a  moment  question 
the  truth  of  that  which  he  was  taught.  It.  is  not  cer- 
tain that  he  ever  saw  Jesus.  It  may  be  that  he  pur- 
posely avoided  the  chance  of  seeing  Him.  For  this 
"demagog"  from  Galilee  was  a  dangerous  man,  it 
seemed;  even  the  old  and  learned  Pharisee  Nicodemus 
had  been  caught  in  His  snares.  No  doubt  Saul  was 
often  warned  to  keep  away  from  the  Nazarene. 

Nevertheless   Saul   was   soon  to   stand   face  to   face 
with  the  new  doctrine. 


IIL    The  Persecution, 

"I  am,  as  touching  the  Law,  a  Pharisee;  concerning  ceal, 
persecuting  the  Church"  (Phil.  3:5-6). 
"And  Saul  was  breathing  out  threatenings  and  slaughter 
against  the  disciples  of  the  Lord"  (Acts  9:1). 

*'It  was  the  grandest,  and  at  the  same  time  the 
purest  and  boldest  social  renewal  of  the  world  which 
here  was  worked  out  within  the  narrow  circle  of  some 
lowly  men ;  not  in  the  spirit  of  selfishness  and  violence, 
but  in  the  spirit  of  loving  service,  which  had  its  pro- 
totype and  earnest  of  victory  in  Jesus,  the  Friend  of 
the  poor  and  suffering."    (Otto  Pfleiderer.) 

The  Shepherd  had  been  put  to  death,  and  the  sheep 
had  been  scattered.  The  Pharisees  had  won  the  vic- 
tory :  and  the  few  disciples  who  had  remained  true  to 
the  Lord  were  stricken  with  panic,  and  had  with  heavy 
hearts  hidden  themselves  away.  He  whom  their  soul 
loved  had  been  put  to  death  as  a  malefactor.  The 
leaders  of  the  people  did  not  find  it  necessary  to  begin 


26 

any  serious  persecution  of  the  followers  of  Jesus ;  they 
hoped  that  the  whole  movement  would  die  out  now  that 
the  Prime  Mover  was  put  out  of  the  way. 

But  though  He  had  died  He  was  still  victorious. 
Death  could  not  hold  Him.  He  rose  again  with  trans- 
figured body,  and  showed  Himself  several  times  to  His 
friends,  in  order  that  their  faith  in  Him  might  not 
die,  but  receive  new  life  and  strength.  His  revealing 
of  Himself  came  to  be  of  especial  importance  to  Peter, 
who  was  to  be  the  leader  of  the  new  Church.  So  we 
see  the  little  flock  of  believers  coming  together  again, 
and  with  renewed  courage.  It  was  true  that  their  Lord 
had  died  on  the  cross,  but  to  them  it  was  just  as  cer- 
tainly true  that  He  still  lived.  They  had  seen  Him 
many  times  and  had  touched  Him,  and  He  had  spoken 
to  them ;  so  there  could  be  no  doubt  whatever  that  it 
was  the  same  Jesus.  He  told  them  to  be  of  good  cheer, 
and  to  go  out  into  the  world  and  preach  that  which 
He  had  taught  them;  and  He  promised  to  be  with  them 
alway.  The  Spirit,  whom  He  would  send  them,  should 
stir  them  mightily  and  be  a  proof  of  His  presence  and 
help ;  and  He  let  them  know  that  He  would  sometime 
come  again  in  great  power  and  glory. 

In  the  time  between  the  resurrection  and  the  out- 
pouring of  the  Spirit  the  disciples  went  through  a  great 
spiritual  evolution.  The  question:  Should  Jesus  have 
suffered  all  this?  had  been  very  hard  to  answer;  and. 
they  must  have  an  answer  which  would  not  only  dissi- 
pate all  doubt  that  Jesus,  despite  His  death,  was  the 
Son  of  God,  but  which  would  fill  them  with  the  blessed 
assurance  that  by  His  death  He  had  bought  them  the 
right  to  be  God's  children.  We  can  see  the  progress  of 
this  spiritual  ripening  when  we  read  carefully  the  ac- 
counts of  it  in  the  New  Testament.  The  eyes  of  the 
disciples  were  opened  more  and  more  to  the  grandeur 
of  the  suffering  and  death  of  Jesus,  and  the  old   pro- 


27 

phetic  visions  stood  out  in  a  light  which  gave  them  a 
new  meaning.  Now  the  disciples  saw  that  Jesus  was  in 
truth  the  Messiah;  now  they  were  willing  at  all  hazards 
to  follow  Him. 

With  the  day  of  the  Pentecost  the  work  of  the 
apostles  as  His  witnesses  had  its  beginning.  Now  they 
were  to  be  His  witnesses  in  Jerusalem  and  in  all  Judaea 
and  Samaria,  and  unto  the  ends  of  the  world.  Jesus 
had  also  prepared  them  for  the  experiences  which  they 
were  to  reap  in  this  work  (Matt.  10). 

So  the  disciples  went  about  from  house  to  house, 
and  knocked  at  the  doors,  and  told  people  of  Him  in 
whom  only  there  is  salvation.  In  many  places  they  were 
well  received,  while  in  others  they  were  driven  away 
with  mocking  and  contempt.  Then  they  shook  the  dust 
off  their  feet  and  went  their  patient  way. 

The  message  which  they  brought  was  this :  That 
Jesus  was  the  Messiah ;  that  He  was  ascended  to  the 
right  hand  of  God ;  that  He  would  come  again  in  the 
clouds,  as  had  been  prophesied  by  Daniel,  to  reveal 
Himself  as  the  Messiah  to  all  the  earth,  and  establish 
His  Kingdom.  He  might  come  soon,  and  then  would 
be  the  great  day  of  judgment  and  salvation;  then  would 
the  world  be  destroyed  and  the  Kingdom  of  God  come 
into  its  own.  Persecutions,  and  revolutions  in  the  social 
order  and  in  nature,  were  to  presage  His  coming.  They 
who  then  lived  would  be  changed;  and  the  dead  would 
arise  and  receive  a  new  body  and  be  like  unto  the 
angels  of  God.  In  eternal  bliss  they  were  to  sit  at  meat 
with  Abraham,  Isaac  and  Jacob,  and  receive  an  hundred- 
fold recompense  for  all  earthly  want  and  suffering. 
What  now  was  sown  in  tears  would  be  harvested  in 
joy.  They  who  now  were  sad,  and  who  hungered,  suf- 
fered and  were  persecuted,  should  then  rejoice  and  be 
filled. 

The  ungodly  world  should  then  be  condemned  and 


28 

reap  eternal  woe ;  while  the  sad  and  suffering  were  to  be 
redeemed  and  comforted  and  refreshed  with  all  good 
things,  for  that  they  had  hoped  in  Him  and  had  suf- 
fered and  fought  for  the  honor  of  His  name. 

However,  their  preaching  could  not  be  limited  to 
drawing  these  glorious  pictures  of  the  future ;  but  as  all 
that  they  hoped  for  was  intimately  connected  with  the 
person  of  Jesus,  they  must  prove  by  the  Word  of  God 
that  Jesus  was  the  Messiah.  The  offense  of  the  cross  must 
be  taken  away;  for  it  was  on  this  point  that  they  al- 
ways were  being  attacked.  Who  could  believe  that  a 
crucified  malefactor  was  the  Messiah?  But  as  the 
disciples  began  in  earnest  to  search  the  Scriptures  they 
found  in  the  old  prophets  many  passages  which  declared 
that  the  servant  of  the  Lord  was  to  suffer  much  and 
that  through  this  very  suffering  He  was  to  carry  out 
God's  plan  of  salvation.  In  respect  to  this  no  passages 
were  more  clear  than  those  of  the  prophet  Isaiah  in 
chapters  52  and  53.  Here  the  Man  of  Sorrows  is  pic- 
tured, feature  by  feature:  "He  who  took  upon  Himself 
our  diseases  and  bore  our  suffering;  who  was  pierced 
for  our  transgressions,  bruised  for  our  iniquities :  the 
punishment  was  upon  Him,  that  we  might  have  peace, 
and  through  His  stripes  we  are  healed."  Were  not 
these  words  literally  fulfilled  in  Jesus  of  Nazareth? 
And  did  not  all  agree  that  the  servant  of  God  spoken  of 
by  the  prophet  was  the  Messiah?  And  how  exactly 
did  not  the  rest  of  those  chapters  describe  Jesus:  ''He 
is  brought  as  a  lamb  to  the  slaughter,  and  as  a  sheep 
before  the  shearers  is  dumb,  so  He  opened  not  His 
mouth.  He  was  taken  from  prison  and  from  judgment ; 
and  who  shall  declare  His  generation?  For  He  was  cut 
off  out  of  the  land  of  the  living;  for  the  transgressions 
of  my  people  was  He  stricken.  And  He  made  His 
grave  with  the  wicked,  and  with  the  rich  in  His  death ; 
because  He  had  done  no  violence,  neither  was  any  de- 


29 

ceit  in  His  mouth.  Yet  it  pleased  the  Lord  to  bruise 
Him ;  He  hath  put  Him  to  grief ;  when  thou  shalt  make 
His  soul  an  offering  for  sin,  He  shall  see  His  seed,  He 
shall  prolong  His  days,  and  the  pleasure  of  the  Lord 
shall  prosper  in  His  hand." — ^  This  certainly  looks  as  if 
written  right  under  the  cross  of  Jesus  instead  of  many 
centuries  earlier;  and  there  were  many  who  through 
these  words  had  their  eyes  opened.  Here  the  disciples 
of  Jesus  had  a  strong  fortress,  and  they  made  use  of  it, 
as  we  see  in  Acts  8 :  30. 

When  any  offered  the  objection  that  Jesus  could  not 
be  the  Messiah,  since  He  had  been  rejected  by  the 
leaders  of  the  people,  the  disciples  were  able  to  point  to 
that  which  Jesus  said  of  the  Corner-stone  rejected  of 
the  builders  (Mark  12:10);  this  also  being  the  fulfil- 
ment of  a  prophecy.  And  the  same  was  true  of  His 
resurrection,  which  had  been  foretold  in  Ps.  16:  10; 
86:13;  Hosea  6:2  (cf.  Acts  2:27;  13,  35).  Daniel, 
too,  had  foretold  that  He  was  to  come  again  in  the 
clouds  as  the  Son  of  Man  (Dan.  7:  13). 

Thus  the  disciples  learnt  more  and  more  to  under- 
stand and  show  that  the  life  of  Jesus  from  beginning 
to  end  had  been  a  fulfilment  of  the  Old  Testament ;  and 
of  this  side  of  their  preaching  we  have  a  mighty  ex- 
ample in  the  Gospel  of  Matthew. 

It  could  not  well  be  denied,  then,  that  the  life  of 
Jesus,  and  more  especially  His  suffering  and  death, 
were  in  closest  harmony  with  the  prophecies ;  the  coun- 
sel of  God  had  thus  been  fulfilled. 

But  why  had  God  put  all  this  suffering  on  Jesus? 
This  also  is  answered  by  Isaiah  in  the  53d  chapter: 
The  sen^ant  of  God  bore  the  punishment  of  our  sins  as 
our  representative,  that  we  might  have  the  forgiveness 
of  sin  and  peace.  Thus  His  death  was  an  atonement 
(1  Cor.  15:3).  But  if  Jesus  bought  forgiveness,  it 
follows  as  a  matter  of  course  that  the  first  gift  which 


30 

they  received  who  beHeved  on  Him,  was  the  gracious 
gift  of  remission  of  sins. 

The  men  and  women  who  believed  these  things 
formed  a  company  of  brothers  and  sisters  who  in  those 
€arly  times  Hved  in  the  beauty  of  a  first  love.  They 
loved  Him  on  whom  they  believed;  and  there  was 
among  them  a  mutual  unity  and  unselfish  love  of  the 
brethren  which  has  had  no  counterpart.  They  had 
learnt  love  from  the  Master;  He  was  the  Friend  of  all 
the  poor  and  of  them  that  suffered,  and  the  Helper  of 
all  who  were  maltreated,  who  were  oppressed,  who 
hungered  and  wept.  In  this  brotherhood  of  Jesus  the 
needy  and  lost  had  a  refuge  in  which  they  found  com- 
fort and  help,  and  had  a  foretaste  of  the  coming  King- 
dom of  God,  in  which  God  Himself  should  wipe  away 
all  their  tears. 

In  this  wise  they  sought  to  win  souls  for  Him  who 
w^as  their  all;  and  thus  they  went  their  unassuming  and 
loving  way,  imparting  to  others  that  which  they  them- 
selves had  received. 

When  we  compare  this  preaching  by  the  disciples 
with  the  Judaism  of  that  time,  the  immeasurable  dis- 
tance between  them  can  not  escape  us.  The  very  es- 
sentials of  life  and  doctrine  were  changed.  In  the 
preaching  of  the  disciples  there  was  no  room  for  the 
Law  as  a  way  of  salvation ;  in  its  stead  was  placed,  His 
person  and  His  work. 

How  should  they,  now,  harmonize  this  new  preach- 
ing with  the  Law  and  the  temple  service?  These  also 
w^ere  given  of  God.  This  question  must  sometime  be 
answered.  The  service  in  the  temple  and  prompt  ob- 
servance of  the  Law  were  uppermost  in  the  mind  of  the 
Jew ;  and  the  deeper  his  character,  and  the  more  ear- 
nest his  desire  to  lead  a  life  which  would  please  God, 
the  more  difficult  would  be  his  position.  Right  here 
a  thorough  understanding  must  be  arrived  at ;   for  the 


31 

preaching'  of  the  disciples  must  have  far-reaching- 
results. 

It  was  not  an  easy  matter  to  grasp  at  once  that  the 
old  things  had  passed  away,  and  that  all  had  become 
new.  The  Lord  led  the  disciples  onward  step  by  step. 
First  of  all  their  hearts  must  be  confirmed  in  the  new 
order;  then  gradually,  as  occasion  offered,  the  new 
structure  would  be  built  up. 

But  the  Pharisees  and  scribes  were  trained  thinkers ; 
and  they  understood  very  well  what  the  new  preaching- 
meant.  To  their  minds  a  crucified  Messiah  was  the 
most  unreasonable  of  all  unreasonable  things,  their 
principal  stumbling-block;  for  it  overthrew  everything 
which  the  Jews  had  hoped  and  wished  for  in  the  King- 
dom of  the  Messiah.  They  expected  their  Messiah  to 
liberate  the  Jewish  people  from  the  humiliating  bondage 
under  Rome,  and  make  the  Jews  a  greater  and  more 
honored  nation  than  they  ever  had  been.  But  if  the 
crucified  Jesus  was  in  truth  the  Messiah,  then  all  their 
life  and  all  their  labor  were  even  worse  than  useless. 
Therefore  the  death  of  Jesus  was  to  their  way  of  think- 
ing a  divine  judgment  against  any  idea  of  Him  as  the 
Messiah,  and  thus  a  declaration  in  fact  that  the  Phar- 
isees were  right  in  rejecting  Him.  The  Pharisees  had 
difficulty  in  making  reply  when  the  disciples  advanced 
proof  from  the  Scriptures  that  Jesus  must  die  to  atone 
for  the  sins  of  His  people,  and  that  His  suffering  was 
in  no  sense  in  conflict  with  His  mission  as  the  Messiah. 
But  by  very  reason  of  this  difficulty  they  were  the  more 
angry;  and  their  every  sentiment  protested  against  the 
doctrine  that  Jesus  the  crucified,  on  whom  the  curse  of 
the  Law  was  executed  by  an  ignominious  death,  could 
be  the  one  to  bring  the  Messianic  salvation,  and  even 
the  Messianic  righteousness.  That  which  came  by  One 
who  was  accursed  under  the  Law  could  not  be  a  right- 
eousness according  to  the  Law,  but  must  be  something 


32 

entirely  new,  a  righteousness  without  any  regard  to  the 
Law.  But  righteousness  according  to  the  Law  was  the 
foundation  under  the  whole  doctrinal  structure  of  the 
Pharisees,  and  this  would  then  be  completely  under- 
mined; and  if  Jesus,  the  Accursed  under  the  Law,  were 
truly  the  Messiah,  then  all  the  ideas  and  prerogatives  of 
Judaism,  built  on  the  Law,  must  fall,  and  the  whole 
religion  of  Pharisaism  must  go  down  and  be  replaced 
by  the  new  order  of  things.  It  was  not  to  be  expected 
that  this  could  come  to  pass  without  meeting  resistance. 
History  tells  us  of  many  bloody  wars  that  have  been 
fought  for  lesser  things  than  these. 

A  fight  was  unavoidable.  But  the  young  Christian 
Church  was  to  have  some  years  of  peace  in  which  to 
gather  strength,  as  the  leaders  of  the  people  thought  it 
the  part  of  wisdom  for  a  time  to  await  developments. 
At  first  they  regarded  the  Christians  as  being  merely  a 
fanatical  Jewish  sect,  and  such  sectarianism  was  not 
unknown  among  the  Jews.  But  as  long  as  it  had  no 
great  hold  on  the  people  nothing  was  done  about  it. 
Besides,  the  first  Christians  were  as  diligent  as  any  in 
visiting  the  temple  and  observing  the  duties  laid  upon 
them  by  the  Law;  they  led  a  sort  of  double  life.  In 
their  inner  selves  they  were  free  from  the  Law  and  the 
Old  Testament  service ;  but  in  their  outward  life  they 
regarded  themselves  as  in  duty  bound  to  observe  the  old 
precepts  and  rules.  The  time  was  to  come  when  they 
would  understand  that  the  New  Covenant  in  Christ 
must  destroy  the  old  order.  But  as  yet  they  tried  to 
a  certain  extent  to  combine  the  two ;  and  they  hardly 
felt  the  contradiction  in  this  attempt.  Therefore  they 
gathered  with  the  brethren  and  sisters  for  instruction, 
edification  and  the  breaking  of  bread,  but  they  also  took 
part  in  the  old  temple  service. 

Peter  had  done  some  acts  of  healing;  and  those  in 
authority  considered  it  opportune  to  give  the  Christians 


33 

a  warning  against  such  doings.  Then  when  the  warn- 
ing was  not  heeded  they  caused  the  apostles  to  be 
scourged  and  strictly  forbade  them  to  preach.  But  this 
made  the  apostles  all  the  more  zealous ;  for  the  thought 
filled  them  with  joy  that  they  were  regarded  as  worthy 
to  suffer  for  Jesus'  sake.  (See  Acts  4-5.)  Still,  the 
leading  men  among  the  Jews  thought  it  the  part  of 
wisdom,  for  a  time  at  least,  to  follow  the  advice  of 
Gamaliel — the  poHcy  of  watchful  waiting. 

It  is  not  easily  determined  exactly  how  many  years 
of  peace  the  new  Church  enjoyed.  At  any  rate,  before 
long  the  troublous  times  began;  and  this  change  in  the 
order  of  events  is  connected  with  the  name  of  Stephen. 
He  was  one  of  the  deacons  of  the  Church  in  Jerusalem ; 
and  it  was  he  who  occasioned  the  breach  of  the  peace. 

The  Church  in  Jerusalem  had  grown  quite  rapidly. 
The  little  flock  of  Galileans  had  been  augmented  by 
many  Jews  from  Jerusalem  and  Judaea ;  and  also  by  a 
number  of  Jews  who  had  grown  up  in  the  Greek 
countries,  but  now  made  their  home  in  Jerusalem. 
These  so-called  Hellenistic  Jews  had  always  kept  close 
to  the  faith  of  their  fathers.  The  native  Jews,  how- 
ever, looked  with  some  suspicion  on  those  who  had 
grown  up  among  the  Gentiles ;  and  the  immigrated  Jews 
had  therefore  built  their  own  synagogues  in  Jerusalem 
and  had  their  own  services.  Such  a  synagogue  had 
been  built  by  the  Jews  from  Cilicia  and  Asia  Minor ;  and 
it  was  the  general  meeting-place  of  all  Jews  from  those 
parts.  To  this  synagogue  belonged  both  Stephen  and  Saul. 

There  arose  a  controversy  among  them  with  regard 
to  the  Christian  teaching,  and  Stephen  appeared  as  the 
spokesman  of  the  Christians.  We  do  not  know  the  de- 
tails;  but  the  upshot  of  the  matter  was,  that  Stephen 
was  charged  with  blasphemy  against  God  and  Moses, 
in  that  he  said  that  Jesus  would  destroy  the  temple  and 
abrogate  the  Mosaiac  Law. 

2 


34 

The  charge  was  not  true.  Stephen  had  not  been 
guilty  of  blasphemy;  nor  had  he  said  that  of  which  he 
was  accused  by  the  false  witnesses.  He  made  a  speech 
in  his  own  defense  and  state  precisely  what  he  had 
said:  By  their  impenitence  and  stubbornness  the  Jews 
had  all  the  time  violated  the  Lord's  Commandments, 
despised  and  persecuted  His  messengers;  and  this  they 
had  done  also  to  the  Lord's  righteous  Servant  spoken 
of  by  the  prophets.  When  He  came  to  His  o^vn  they 
would  not  receive  Him,  but  became  His  murderers. 
They  had  made  themselves  guilty  of  murder  and  treason 
toward  Jesus,  who  was  the  promised  Messiah;  therefore 
the  punishment  of  the  Lord  would  come  upon  them. 

These  bold  accusations  caused  the  anger  of  the  Jews 
to  break  all  bounds ;  and  it  became  even  more  bitter 
when  Stephen  at  this  time  had  a  divine  revelation:  He 
looked  into  the  glory  of  Heaven  and  saw  his  Savior, 
whom  he  had  fearlessly  confessed;  and  he  told  what  he 
saw.  Then  the  Jews  were  beside  themselves  with  the 
anger  of  fanaticism.  They  stopped  their  ears  and 
howled  and  shouted  to  drown  the  speech  of  Stephen, 
that  his  words  might  not  befoul  their  ears.  Then  they 
drove  him  out  of  the  city  and  stoned  him.  Yet  into 
the  very  jaws  of  death  he  held  fast  to  his  Savior,  for 
he  was  of  like  mind  with  Jesus.  His  last  words  were : 
''Lord,  lay  not  this  sin  to  their  charge" ;  and  soon  there- 
after he  saw  the  Lord  face  to  face. 

At  these  doings  Saul  was  present.  No  doubt  he 
took  part  in  the  controversy,  the  trial  and  the  shocking 
murder. 

This  event  came  to  have  far-reaching  results.  Dur- 
ing the  trial  thoughts  were  born  which  presaged  a  mo- 
mentous upheaval.  There  was  some  connection  between 
the  destruction  of  the  temple  and  the  coming  of  Christ; 
the  Jews  were  to  be  thrust  aside  and  the  Law  be  put 
on  an  entirely  new  footing.     Such  ideas  as  these  could 


35 

not  fail  to  provoke  disgust  in  the  Jews;  and  the  whole 
Christian  Church  became  involved  in  the  judgment 
executed  on  Stephen. 

The  Christians  now  found  themselves  in  an  entirely 
new  position.  They  had  been  tolerated  by  the  Jewish 
leaders,  but  now  they  stood  face  to  face  with  hatred, 
persecution,  death.  They  were  held  by  the  guardians  of 
the  Law  to  be  apostates  who  should  be  wiped  out;  for 
they  did  not  make  the  future  of  the  people  dependent 
on  the  Law,  but  taught  the  rejection  of  Israel,  the  de- 
struction of  the  temple  and  the  abrogation  of  the  Law. 
These  were  the  doctrines  ascribed  to  them  by  the 
Pharisees.  Now  the  Christians  were  to  learn  the  truth 
of  the  Words  of  Jesus,  that  the  disciple  is  not  above 
the  master;  if  the  Jews  had  called  the  Master  of  the 
house  Beelzebub,  how  much  more  them  of  His  house- 
hold. The  Christians  were  to  see  themselves  as  sheep 
among  the  wolves,  be  delivered  up  to  the  councils,  and 
scourged  in  the  synagogues.  Brother  should  deliver  up 
brother  to  death,  and  the  father  the  child;  and  the 
children  should  rise  up  against  their  parents,  and  cause 
them  to  be  put  to  death.  They  should  be  hated  of  all 
men  for  Jesus'  sake,  and  be  driven  from  place  to  place. 

A  complete  system  of  persecution  was  organized. 
The  sanhedrin  gave  written  authority  to  the  worst 
zealots  to  hunt  out  all  who  seemed  open  to  suspicion,  to 
stir  up  all  people  against  them  and  drag  them  before  the 
local  judges,  in  order  that  they  might  be  punished. 
None  was  more  zealous  than  Saul  against  the  Chris- 
tians, For  to  him  religion  was  everything;  he  put  his 
whole  soul  into  whatever  he  undertook,  and  never  did 
anything  by  halves.  During  the  trial  of  Stephen  he  had 
heard  views  stated  which  meant  open  revolution  not 
only  against  the  Judaism  of  the  Pharisees,  but  against 
the  Law^  of  God,  the  most  holy  and  precious  thing  in 
all  the  world.     Pharisaism   expressed  to  his   mind   the 


36 

gist  of  the  Law.  Besides,  the  boldness  with  which 
Stephen  defended  himself  seemed  to  Saul  nothing  short 
of  shameless  wickedness.  So  he  was  in  entire  accord 
with  the  idea  that  these  dangerous  doctrines  must  be 
weeded  out,  and  he  thoroughly  approved  of  the  murder 
of  Stephen;  he  found  pleasure  in  it.  From  the  bloody 
scene  outside  the  city  wall  he  turned  against  other  ad- 
herents of  the  hated  doctrine,  ''breathing  out  threat- 
enings  and  slaughter  against  the  disciples  of  the  Lord.'" 
And  not  satisfied  with  what  he  could  do  in  Jerusalem, 
he  went  to  the  high  priest  and  secured  from  him  letters 
authorizing  him  to  go  to  Damascus,  where  there  were 
many  Jews,  and  to  which  city  many  Christians  had  fled 
during  the  persecutions.  It  was  his  purpose  to  hunt 
out  such  as  were  of  the  same  way  of  thinking  as 
Stephen,  whether  they  be  men  or  women,  and  bring 
them  bound  to  Jerusalem.  He  "thought  with  himself 
that  he  ought  to  do  many  things  contrary  to  the  name 
of  Jesus  of  Nazareth"  (Acts  26:9),  and  he  did  every- 
thing in  his  power  to  sow  the  seed  of  dissension  and 
hatred  and  pursue  the  Christians  to  the  death. 

After  this  first  violent  attack  the  persecutions  abated 
somewhat,  but  did  not  entirely  cease.  The  Christians 
could  not  feel  entirely  safe;  the  avenging  hand  of  the 
Pharisees  might  reach  them  at  any  time.  These  were 
times  of  trouble  and  anxiety  for  the  Lord's  Church. 
The  political  situation,  also,  was  favorable  to  the  Phari- 
sees. Agrippa  I  was  appointed  king  of  Judaea,  and 
he  sought  to  win  the  favor  the  the  Jews  by  making 
common  cause  with  the  Pharisees  and  persecuting  the 
Christians.  James,  the  brother  of  John,  was  put  to 
death.  Peter  also  was  cast  into  prison,  but  God  de- 
livered him  by  a   miracle. 

This  persecution  had  great  results  for  the  Christian 
cause.  The  ruling  Judaism  had  turned  away  from  the 
Christians  and  begun  to  make  war  on  them ;  and  these 


37 

must  now  learn  to  stand  alone.  They  could  no  longer 
claim  to  be  a  Jewish  society,  for  Judaism  had  rejected 
them.  They  were  being  persecuted  in  the  name  of  the 
Law ;  and  so  it  must  be  clear  to  them  that  their  relation 
to  the  Law  was  a  different  one  from  that  of  their  perse- 
cutors. Even  one  who  was  expelled  from  the  Jewish 
Church  might  be  saved;  for  the  hope  of  Heaven  was 
not  grounded  in  the  Law,  but  in  the  Lord. 

In  other  ways  also  these  persecutions  were  to  pro- 
mote mightily  the  cause  of  the  Church  of  Christ.  They 
scattered  the  Christians  in  all  directions ;  and  wherever 
the  Christians  came  they  made  use  of  every  opportunity 
to  tell  people  about  Him  on  whom  they  believed,  and 
for  whom  they  lived.  These  exiles  from  home  became 
just  so   many   evangeHsts. 

In  these  troublous  times  it  came  home  to  the  Chris- 
tians that  among  them  the  ties  of  nationality  were  being 
loosened,  and  to  many  this  was  something  of  a  surprise. 
The  words  of  the  Lord  were  being  fulfilled.  Generally 
the  wandering  evangelists  preached  only  to  the  Jews 
(Acts  11:19);  but  Philip  had  gone  to  Samaria,  and 
there  he  was  doing  a  great  work.  Many  of  the  Samar- 
itans received  with  gladness  the  good  tidings;  and  when 
the  Church  in  Jerusalem  had  learnt  what  was  doing  in 
Samaria  they  sent  Peter  and  John  to  this  district  to  look 
into  the  matter  and  to  give  Philip  their  assistance. 

Shortly  after  this  the  first  Gentiles  were  added  to 
the  Church.  The  Lord  brought  together  this  same 
Philip  and  a  chamberlain  in  the  service  of  Queen  Can- 
dace  of  Ethiopia,  the  guardian  of  all  her  treasure,  who 
had  come  to  Jerusalem  to  worship.  On  his  way  home 
this  man  was  reading  the  prophecies  of  Isaiah  concerning 
the  suffering  Messiah;  and  he  asked  Philip:  "Of  whom 
speaketh  the  prophet  this  ?"  This  gave  Philip  the  chance 
to  speak  to  him  concerning  Jesus ;  and  the  chamber- 
lain believed  and  was  baptized. — Even  more  important 


38 

in  its  results  was  the  conversion  and  Baptism  of  the 
Roman  Cornehus  by  the  apostle  Peter.  The  Lord  had 
to  prepare  Peter  for  this  through  a  vision;  and  when 
Peter  understood  that  it  was  God's  will  that  people  of 
Gentile  birth  also  were  to  become  members  of  the 
Church,  he  baptized  Cornelius  and  the  people  of  his 
household,  as  soon  as  the  Lord  had  poured  his  Spirit 
out  upon  them  and  thus  shown  it  to  be  His  will  to  ad- 
mit them  into  the  Church.  To  the  Jewish  Christians 
present  this  proceeding  was  a  great  surprise  (Acts  10: 
45).  Also  to  the  brethren  in  Jerusalem  the  action  of 
Peter  in  this  matter  seemed  very  bold,  until  he  had 
come  home  and  explained  the  whole  affair  in  detail. 
This  put  their  doubts  to  rest;  and  they  glorified  God, 
who  to  the  gentiles,  also,  had  granted  repentance  unto 
life. 

In  the  providence  of  God  it  came  about  that  in  these 
times  of  trouble  arose  the  greatest  among  the  sons  of 
the  Church.  Saul,  who  had  persecuted  the  Christians, 
became  the  obedient  and  devoted  servant  of  Jesus. 


IV,    A  New  Man* 

"The  Commandment,  which  was  ordained  to  life,  I  found 
to  he  unto  death"'  (Rom.  7:10). 

''For  I  through  the  Law  am  dead  to  the  Law  .  .  .  never- 
theless I  live;  yet  not  I,  hut  Christ  liveth  in  me  (Gal. 
2:19-20). 

Many  thousand  Jews  have  gone  over  from  Judaism 
to  faith  in  Jesus  of  Nazareth  as  the  Son  of  God  and 
the  promished  Messiah,  and  have  become  loyal  members 
of  'the  Christian  Church;  and  every  such  conversion 
marks,   as   it   were,   an   epoch   in   life.     Above   all   the 


39 

others,  looms  Saul;  his  conversion  was  not  merely  a 
turning-point  in  his  own  career,  but  became  a  pivot  on 
which  hinged  the  history  of  the  Church  itself.  He  who 
had  been  the  bitter  enemy  and  persecutor  of  the  Church 
became  then  its  most  devoted  friend,  its  most  zealous 
defender  and  its  strongest  leader. 

Often  the  great  change  occupies  but  a  short  time ;  a 
man  is  mightily  moved  by  the  grace  of  God,  is  trans- 
lated from  death  to  life,  the  wonderful  miracle  of  the 
new  birth  takes  place,  and  the  most  radical  change 
possible  in  a  man's  life  has  been  accomplished.  Thus 
it  was  in  the  case  of  Saul.  It  should  be  said,  however, 
that  the  process  took  a  somewhat  longer  time  than  it 
is  often  represented  as  having  taken. 

But  such  a  change  does  not  come  about  without  hav- 
ing been  preceded  by  certain  preparatory  steps.  In  the 
inner  and  the  outward  life  there  are  many  threads  which 
God  sees,  which  His  hand  finds,  and  by  which  He 
draws  the  heart  to  Himself  and  prepares  it  for  His 
work. 

In  the  case  of  Saul  religion  had  always  been  the  one 
thing  of  importance.  His  depth  of  character  would  not 
permit  him  ever  to  be  satisfied  with  the  superficial  re- 
ligion of  the  Pharisees,  as  this  is  laid  bare  in  Matt.  23. 
Saul  was  a  Nathaniel  without  guile;  his  zeal  for  God 
Avas  an  honest  impulse,  and  no  divided  allegiance  would 
do  for  him  in  religious  matters. 

•  But  the  Law  and  the  ordinances  of  the  fathers  had 
been  his  religion;  and  through  these  precepts  he  wanted 
to  become  righteous  before  God,  and  he  knew  of  no 
other  way.  He  made  the  effort  with  all  his  might ;  and 
he  says  of  himself  (Gal.  1:  14),  "I  profited  in  the  Jews' 
religion  above  many  my  equals  in  mine  own  nation, 
being  more  exceedingly  zealous  of  the  traditions  of  my 
fathers."  For  he  strove  to  win  God's  favor,  to  become 
righteous,  and  to  find  peace  with  God.     But  in  this  hard 


40 

and  exhausting  labor  under  the  Law  he  was  to  harvest 
something  entirely  different  from  what  he  had  expected, 
and  to  have  experiences  of  which  he  never  could  have 
dreamed.  So  far  from  becoming  righteous  by  his  ef- 
forts he  became  more  and  more  unrighteous;  and  in- 
stead of  finding  peace  and  joy  he  found  fear  and  un- 
speakable agony  of  soul.  All  his  works  only  made  his 
situation  the  worse.  Later  on,  particularly  in  Romans 
7,  he  describes  in  a  most  gripping  way  the  agony  of  soul 
which  he  suffered  during  these  years. 

It  was  by  coming  in  under  the  Law  that  he  acquired 
a  true  knowledge  of  sin  and  its  power:  ''Sin,  taking 
occasion  by  the  Commandment,  wrought  in  me  all  man- 
ner of  concupiscence.  The  Law  said,  Thou  shalt  not 
covet,  and  sin  took  occasion  to  deceive  me  and  slay 
me.  Sin  revived,  and  I  died;  and  the  Commandment, 
which  was  ordained  to  life,  I  found  to  be  unto  death. 
— ^Was,  then,  that  which  is  good  made  death  unto  me? 
God  forbid.  But  sin,  that  it  might  appear  sin,  working 
death  in  me  by  that  which  is  good;  that  sin  by  the 
Commandment  might  become  exceeding  sinful.  For 
we  know  that  the  Law  is  spiritual ;  but  I  am  carnal, 
sold  under  sin." 

And  in  this  condition,  in  which  he  saw  the  Law  in 
his  members  at  war  with  the  Law  of  God,  the  effort  to 
do  works  pleasing  to  God  was  wholly  vain.  When  he 
was  in  the  flesh  the  sinful  lusts,  which  came  to  life 
through  the  Law,  were  active  in  his  members  to  bear 
the  fruits  of  death.  He  was  captive  under  the  Law  of 
sin.  It  was  made  clear  to  him  that  the  Law  works 
wrath ;  that  the  carnal  mind  is  enmity  against  God  and 
can  not  obey  His  Law.  So  the  outcome  is  this,  that 
what  things  soever  the  Law  says,  it  says  to  them  that 
are  under  the  Law,  in  order  that  every  mouth  shall 
be  stopped  and  all  the  world  be  guilty  before  God.  He 
hungered  after  a  word  of  comtort  from  the  Law,  say- 


41 

ing  that  now  he  was  righteous ;  but  through  the  Law 
came  the  knowledge  of  sin.  The  Law  did  not  declare 
him  righteous,  but  said:  "Accursed  is  every  one  who 
does  not  observe  all  things  written  in  the  Book  of  the 
Law  to  do  them."  And  his  heart  and  conscience  said 
Amen  to  the  harsh  judgment  of  the  Law  upon  him. 

These  were  sad  experiences : — to  exert  one's  self 
to  the  utmost,  with  no  other  result  than  agony  of  soul. 
It  could  not  come  into  the  mind  of  Saul  that  the  at- 
tainment of  righteousness  in  this  manner  was  an  im- 
possible undertaking;  such  a  thought  was  directly  con- 
trary to  the  Jewish  way  of  thinking.  So,  when  he  did 
not  reach  the  goal  and  obtain  the  righteousness  for 
which  he  was  striving,  the  fault  was  not  in  the  Law, 
but  in  himself;  he  did  not  strive  with  sufficient  strength 
and  earnestness. 

Such  was  the  condition  of  Saul  when  he  came  in 
contact  with  the  Christians.  The  thought  of  the  humble 
position  and  the  inglorious  death  of  Jesus  caused  Saul's 
mind  to  revolt  against  the  contemptible  sect  formed  by 
his  adherents.  Jesus  had  Himself  assumed  what  the 
Pharisees  held  to  be  a  questionable  attitude  toward  the 
Law;  and  he  had  in  the  most  scathing  terms  repudiated 
their  traditions.  The  story  that  Jesus  was  risen  from 
the  dead  was  regarded  by  Saul  as  nothing  but  a  fiction 
by  the  crazy  disciples  ( Matt.  28 :  5 ) .  At  best,  Jesus 
was  but  a  fanatic ;  and  Saul,  with  his  teacher  Gama- 
liel, hoped  that  time  would  bring  this  to  light.  The 
heretical  doctrines  which  were  being  spread  abroad  in 
the  name  of  Jesus  of  Nazareth  could  not,  however,  be 
tolerated.  The  resentment  of  Saul  became  bitter  hatred 
at  the  thought  that  this  sect  regarded  Jesus  as  the  Mes- 
siah; this  hatred  increased  when  it  came  to  light  at  the 
trial  of  Stephen  that  the  Christians  even  looked  forward 
to  the  possibility  that  the  temple  might  fall.  For  such 
teaching  as  this  seemed  to  Saul  downright  treachery  to 


42 

the  people  and  a  revolt  against  God.  Furthermore, 
these  years  were  pregnant  with  the  idea  of  a  national 
rehabilitation ;  and  it  goes  without  saying  that  Saul  also, 
who  was  in  all  things  a  Jew,  was  gripped  by  this  idea 
and  expected  a  great  and  mighty  Messiah,  a  Prince  of 
the  house  of  David,  who  was  to  deliver  His  people.  But 
the  Nazarene  had  held  Himself  aloof  from  all  this. 

Nevertheless,  these  thoughts  also  were  a  source  of 
agony  to  Saul.  To  be  sure,  the  Pharisees  expected  the 
Messiah  to  come  soon  and  deliver  God's  people;  but  at 
the  same  time  they  were  firmly  persuaded  that  only  a 
righteous  people  might  see  the  day  of  the  Messiah. 
And  where  could  such  a  righteous  people  be  found? 
A  people  such  as  God  demanded,  and  who  proved 
themselves  worthy  to  receive  the  Messiah?  The  stren- 
uous efforts  of  the  Pharisees  to  create  such  a  people 
had  failed  of  results ;  and  the  Pharisees  themselves 
bitterly  denounced  the  ignorant  masses,  who  knew  not 
the  Law. — Again,  if  Saul  was  to  be  honest  with  him- 
self, how  did  he  measure  up  to  the  ideal  of  righteous- 
ness? He  was  far  from  having  reached  it.  With  all 
his  efforts  to  become  righteous  and  to  overcome  his 
sinful  lusts  he  had  not  been  able  to  attain  anything  of 
that  for  which  he  had  been  striving.  It  rather  seemed 
that  his  sin  and  guilt  were  growing  greater.  "Wretched 
man  that  I  am,  who  shall  deliver  me  from  the  body  of 
this  death?"     Can  God  have  rejected  his  own  people? 

These  were  the  thoughts  troubling  the  heart  of  Saul. 
He  could  not  allay  the  pain  of  it.  Then,  during  the 
persecutions,  he  came  into  closer  contact  with  the 
Christians.  It  was  his  business  to  hunt  them  out,  make 
complaint  before  the  Jewish  court,  and  secure  their 
punishment.  In  doing  this  he  had  to  hear  their  de- 
fense and  get  an  insight  into  their  way  of  thinking; 
and  it  dawned  on  him  that  these  people,  whom  he  had 
so  heartily  hated,  were  far  different  from  what  he  had 


43 

imagined  them  to  be.  It  must  have  made  a  deep  im- 
pression on  his  feeHngs  when  he  saw  the  heroic  martyr- 
dom of  the  Christians.  Was  it  possible  that  insane 
fanaticism  or  godless  dishonesty  could  produce  such  a 
sure  and  joyous  faith,  which  did  not  shrink  from  any 
sort  of  persecution  or  suffering?  They  put  their  trust 
in  God,  and  were  in  possession  of  a  peace  which  he 
could  not  explain.  And  when  in  the  course  of  their 
trial  before  the  courts  he  attacked  their  faith  in  the 
suffering  Jesus,  they  answered  by  reading  Isaiah  53 
and  other  portions  of  Scripture;  and  it  almost  seemed 
also  that  they  had  the  Word  of  God  on  their  side. 

All  this  must  have  caused  pain  and  doubt  in  the 
soul  of  Saul.  He  was  a  man  with  a  deep  insight  into 
the  human  heart,  and  at  this  time  his  conscience  was 
darkly  troubled;  and  such  thoughts  as  these  would 
naturally  present  themselves :  Righteousness  is,  possibly, 
not  to  be  found  in  our  own  works,  but  may  be  a  gift  of 
God  to  us,  springing  out  of  the  atonement  by  the  death 
of  the  Messiah.  It  is  not,  then,  the  part  of  a  man  to 
acquire  this  righteousness  by  his  own  works;  but  God 
has  ordained  that  we  may  come,  sinful  as  we  are,  and, 
trusting  in  His  mercy,  we  may  in  faith  grasp  the  gra- 
cious gift  of  righteousness,  and  thus  find  salvation. 
Then,  since  no  effort  of  ours  will  bring  about  the  need- 
ful righteousness,  it  may  be  that  such  righteousness 
was  not  a  condition  of  the  coming  of  the  Messiah,  but 
that,  on  the  contrary,  the  Messiah  must  come  in  order 
to  bring  about  the  righteousness  pertaining  to  His 
Kingdom. 

Thus  there  no  doubt  was  war  in  the  heart  of  Saul 
while  he  busied  himself  in  persecuting  the  Christians. 
He  had  the  delusion  that  he  was  serving  God  by  zeal 
in  these  persecutions ;  then  came  the  Lord's  own  good 
time  in  which  to  show  him  that  he  was  an  enemy  and 
persecutor  of  God's  Kingdom. 


44 

On  one  of  his  journeys  Saul  found  himself  near  the 
city  of  Damascus.  In  this  city  was  a  large  Jewish 
colony;  and  he  knew  that  there  were  in  this  city  many 
Christians  who  feared  him  as  their  w^orst  enemy,  and 
trembled  at  the  thought  of  his  coming.  However,  it  was 
ordained  that  he  was  not  after  all  to  come  as  an  enemy. 

In  the  middle  of  the  day,  as  he  was  near  the  end 
of  his  journey,  he  suddenly  found  round  about  him  a 
brilliant  light  from  Heaven.  Overwhelmed  by  terror  he 
fell  to  the  earth;  for  he  understood  that  God  was  in 
this  light,  and  he  heard  a  voice  saying:  ''Saul,  Saul, 
why  persecutest  thou  me?"  Completely  unnerved  he 
asked:  ''Who  art  thou,  Lord?"  and  he  received  the  an- 
swer which  he  most  feared:  "I  am  Jesus  whom  thou 
persecutest ;  it  is  hard  for  thee  to  kick  against  the 
pricks."  Saul  could  not  for  a  moment  doubt  that  it 
really  was  Jesus  who  spoke  to  him;  and  hence  it  was 
true  that  He  was  risen  from  the  dead ;  and  then  all  the 
other  things  told  of  Him  were  true  also.  Saul  now  saw 
himself  in  a  new  light  which  frightened  him.  He  saw 
that  his  great  crime  was  this :  That  he  had  persecuted 
God's  Messiah.  No  wonder  that,  trembling  and  aston- 
ished, he  now  said :  "Lord,  what  wilt  Thou  have  me  to 
do?"  He  was  conquered;  and  he  understood  that  he 
would  but  receive  his  just  deserts  should  the  Lord  deal 
with  him  as  a  vessel  of  wrath.  But  the  Lord  did  not 
do  this.  He  commanded  Saul  to  arise,  and  go  into 
the  city;  there  it  should  be  told  him  what  he  must  do. 
He  must  have  time  to  reflect  on  his  experience,  and  to 
be  ripened  for  that  which  was  to  come. 

The  vision  vanished;  and  when  Saul  began  to  re- 
cover from  the  shock  of  this  wonderful  revelation  he 
discovered  that  he  had  become  blind;  and  they  who  had 
been  with  him  and  had  been  terrified  by  what  they  had 
witnessed,  now  led  him  by  the  hand,  and  brought  him 
into  Damascus. 


45 

His  blindness  lasted  three  days ;  and  these  were  days 
which  Paul  never  could  forget.  His  heart  was  full, 
and  he  could  neither  eat  nor  drink.  His  old  Jewish 
view  of  religion  had  toppled  over  in  an  instant.  He 
now  knew  that  the  Man  whom  he  had  regarded  as  the 
seducer  of  his  people,  and  whom  he  therefore  had  perse- 
cuted, was  in  very  truth  the  Son  of  God  and  the  Savior 
of  mankind.  What  things  were  gain  to  him,  those  he 
counted  loss  for  Christ.  Nay,  he  counted  all  things 
but  loss  for  the  excellency  of  the  knowledge  of  Christ 
Jesus,  and  counted  them  but  dung,  that  he  might  win 
Christ  (Phil.  3:7-8).  He  now  saw  that  he  had  been 
making  war  against  God. 

While  blind  to  the  world  outside  he  looked  the  more 
closely  into  his  own  soul ;  and  in  his  heart  there  was  the 
sorrow  after  God.  The  revelation  which  he  had  re- 
ceived contained  no  direct  promise  of  mercy.  While 
it  had  conquered  him  and  compelled  him  to  acknowledge 
Jesus  as  his  Lord,  it  had  created  in  him  a  stronger  feel- 
ing of  his  own  guilt;  and  this  now  came  to  mean  much 
more  to  him  than  had  been  the  case  while  he  was  striv- 
ing for  righteousness  under  the  Law.  Now  he  comes,  a 
penitent  sinner,  and  seeks  refuge  with  Him  whom  he 
had  persecuted.  According  to  the  testimony  of  Jesus 
Himself  (Acts  9:  11),  Saul  now  prayed  and  called  on 
the  name  of  the  Lord. 

W^hile  Saul  was  thus  humbled  in  the  dust  the  Lord 
revealed  Himself  to  one  of  His  faithful  disciples  in 
Damascus  named  Ananias  and  told  him  to  go  to  Saul; 
''for,  behold,  he  prayeth."  To  Ananias  this  message 
came  as  the  greatest  surprise;  he  could  hardly  believe 
his  own  ears.  So  he  asked  again  if  the  Lord  really  was 
speaking  of  that  man  who  had  done  so  much  evil  to 
the  saints  in  Jerusalem.  To  this  the  Lord  answered : 
"He  is  a  chosen  vessel  unto  me,  to  bear  my  name  be- 
fore the  Gentiles,  and  kings,  and  the  children  of  Israel ; 


46 

for  I  will  show  him  how  great  things  he  must  suffer 
for  my  name's  sake." 

Ananias  had  never  gone  any  errand  more  gladly. 
Saul  longed  for  his  coming;  for  the  Lord  had  told  him 
that  a  man  named  Ananias  would  come  and  lay  his  hand 
on  him  and  restore  his  sight.  Thus  the  persecutor  and 
the  persecuted  were  brought  together.  The  greeting  of 
Ananias  must  have  sounded  strange  in  the  ears  of  the 
blind  Saul:  ''Brother  Saul,  the  Lord,  even  Jesus,  that 
appeared  unto  thee  in  the  way  as  thou  camest,  hatlj 
sent  me,  that  thou  mightest  receive  thy  sight,  and  be 
filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost."  Ananias  then  put  his  hands 
on  him,  and  immediately  there  fell  from  his  eyes  as  it 
had  been  scales,  and  he  received  sight  forthwith. 

A  similar  experience  took  place  in  the  heart  of  Saul. 
His  eyes  were  opened  to  the  measureless  depth  of  God's 
mercy;  to  the  fullness  of  grace,  with  forgiveness  of 
sins,  with  righteousness  and  peace  and  joy,  and  without 
any  works  of  the  Law.  Saul  at  once  arose,  and  was 
baptized. 

In  this  holy  act  the  mystery  of  the  new  birth  was 
completed  in  him;  Paul  therefore  always  remembered 
with  joy  the  day  on  which  he  was  buried  with  Christ 
in  Baptism,  and  was  cleansed  with  the  washing  of  water 
by  the  Word,  and  was  raised  again  in  Christ,  unto 
whom  he  was  baptized. 

Several  years  later  he  wrote  to  the  Church  in  Rome : 
"Know  ye  not,  that  so  many  of  us  as  were  baptized  into 
Jesus  Christ  were  baptized  into  His  death?  Therefore 
we  are  buried  with  Him  by  Baptism  into  death ;  that 
like  as  Christ  was  raised  up  from  the  dead  by  the  glory 
of  the  Father,  even  so  we  also  should  walk  in  newness 
of  life"  (Rom.  6:3-4).  This  intense  joy  in  the  grace 
of  Baptism  remained  with  him  all  the  time,  until,  old 
and  worn-out  in  the  Master's  service,  he  was  about  to 
seal  his  faith  with  his  death.     Then  he  sent  a  letter  to 


47 

Titus,  his  own  son  after  the  Christian  faith;  it  is  as 
though  the  events  here  described  are  passing  in  review- 
before  the  inner  eye  of  the  old  apostle  as  he  writes : 
"But  after  that  the  kindness  and  love  of  God  our  Savior 
toward  man  appeared,  not  by  works  of  righteousness 
which  we  have  done,  but  according  to  His  mercy  He 
saved  us,  by  the  washing  of  regeneration,  and  renewing 
of  the  Holy  Ghost ;  which  He  shed  on  us  abundantly 
through  Jesus  Christ  our  Savior;  that  being  justified 
by  His  grace,  we  should  be  made  heirs  according  to  the 
hope  of  eternal  Hfe"   (Titus  3:4-7). 

Thus  God  had  of  His  free  grace  had  mercy  on  the 
persecutor,  had  revealed  Himself  to  him  and  changed 
him  into  a  Christian.  Saul  had  tried  to  become  right- 
eous through  the  means  then  in  vogue,  through  a  zealous 
observance  of  the  Law.  But  instead  of  finding  peace 
he  was  the  more  troubled  with  doubt  Now,  however, 
he  had  found  peace  through  entirely  different  means. 
The  two  were  not  harmonious,  but  antagonistic.  That 
which  had  been  his  stumbling-block,  the  accursed  death 
on  the  cross,  now  became  the  corner-stone  of  his  new 
religious  structure.  The  cross  of  Christ  becomes  the 
burden  of  all  his  preaching;  it  becomes  his  joy  and 
pride  (Gal.  6:14).  That  in  which  he  had  trusted — 
his  Jewish  birth,  circumcision,  righteousness  according 
to  the  Law — had  now  lost  all  value  (Phil.  3:7).  Faith 
in  the  crucified  Savior  became  his  life,  his  all.  The  love 
of  Christ  was  that  which  is  to  support  him  through  life 
and  death  (Gal.  2:20;  2  Cor.  5:  14;  Phil.  3:  10).  He 
was  a  new  creature,  free  from  the  bondage  of  the  Law. 
His  feeling  of  guilt,  which  heretofore  had  given  him  no 
rest,  was  now  conquered ;  and  he  found  in  himself  a  new 
spirit  which  filled  him  with  grateful  love  toward  the 
Savior,  who  had  given  him  peace. 

From  these  experiences  springs  a  new  religious  and 
moral  life,  a  new  religious  and  moral  outlook.     He  has 


48 

a  new  insight  into  the  divine  economy,  a  new  world  of 
religious  thought  takes  shape  in  his  soul ;  he  becomes 
the  founder  of  the  true  Christian  science. 

Saul  had  become  a  new  man.  Ananias  had  admon- 
ished him  to  testify  concerning  tlie  salvation  which  he 
had  received.  Saul  himself  felt  impelled  to  do  this;  for 
it  was  his  duty  to  give  a  clear  account  of  the  change 
which  had  taken  place  in  him.  He  owed  it  to  the 
Christians  to  let  them  know  that  his  conversion  was 
genuine,  and  not  a  mere  means  to  trick  them  the  more 
easily,  and  he  owed  it  to  his  former  friends  to  let  them 
know  beyond  mistake  that  he  had  left  them  for  good 
and  all,  and  had  accepted  the  Christian  faith.  There- 
fore he  made  no  secret  of  it;  he  preached  fearlessly  in 
the  synagogues  that  Christ  was  the  Son  of  God,  and  he 
defended  the   faith  against  the  attacks   of   the  Jews. 

Still  the  Lord  had  not  as  yet  called  Saul  to  be  an 
apostle.  The  words  of  Ananias  implied  that  he  was 
to  be  a  witness  to  Jews  and  Gentiles ;  but  to  be  an 
apostle  he  must  be  called  by  the  Lord  Himself.  Some- 
thing more  than  the  change  which  had  taken  place  was 
needed  to  make  of  him  an  apostle;  and  the  preparation 
for  this  high  calling  could  not  be  completed  in  a  few 
days.  To  begin  with,  he  needed  time  for  quiet  niedi- 
tation  on  the  many  new  questions;  and  new  divine  reve- 
lations were  necessary  to  confirm  him  in  the  faith  and 
give  him  a  deeper  insight  into  the  divine  plan.  This 
time  of  rest  and  preparation  lasted  three  years,  which 
he  spent  in  Damascus  and  in  the  northern  districts  of 
Arabia. 


49 


V*  •  Labor  and  Tribulation^ 

"And  he  said  unto  me:  Depart,  for  I  ivill  send  thee  far 
hence  unto  the  Gentiles"  (Acts  22:21). 

"Therefore  I  take  pleasure  in  infirmities,  in  reproaches,  in 
necessities,  in  persecutions,  in  distresses  for  Christ's  sake" 
(2  Cor.  12:10). 

Saul  was  become  a  new  man.  Zeal  for  the  cause 
had  made  him  at  one  time  the  most  bitter  enemy  of  the^ 
Christians.  But  now  he  was  vanquished  and  had  broken 
with  his  old  Ufe  and  way  of  thinking.  The  old  things 
were  passed  away,  and  all  was  become  new.  To  mark 
this  he  also  changed  his  name,  for  after  this  time  he 
called  himself  Paul. 

Naturally  it  now  was  near  the  heart  of  Paul  to  do 
something  for  the  Lord's  cause,  to  offset  the  evil  which 
he  had  done.  Now  he  wished  to  serve  the  Lord  Jesus 
with  his  whole  heart,  with  his  every  thought  and  word. 
No  doubt  Ananias  had  told  him  of  the  great  work  for 
which  the  Lord  had  destined  him.  But  Paul  made 
haste  slowly.  He  did  not  choose  his  own  way  and 
time,  but  patiently  and  humbly  awaited  the  Lord's  own 
appointed  time. 

During  the  three  years  of  waiting  he  lived  in  re- 
tirement. He  needed  to  do  this  in  order  to  ground 
himself  thorough  in  the  new  faith.  Yet  even  now 
he  was  to  learn  by  experience  that  it  costs  something  to 
follow  and  confess  Christ.  The  Jews  were  greatly  dis- 
appointed in  him;  and  when  he  openly  professed  him- 
self a  Christian  he  became  the  object  of  their  hatred, 
and  saw  himself  under  the  necessity  of  escaping  it  by 
making  his  home  for  a  time  in  Arabia.  However,  the 
situation  soon  became  somewhat  less  dangerous,  and  he 
returned  to  Damascus. 

One  might  have  expected  Paul  after  his  conversion 


50. 

to  have  gone  to  Jerusalem  in  order  to  be  with  the 
Church  at  that  place,  and  to  become  acquainted  with  the 
disciples,  who  had  been  eye-witnesses  of  the  Lord's  life, 
death  and  resurrection;  but  he  had  his  valid  reasons  for 
not  doing  this.  It  was  clear  that  it  would  not  be  pos- 
sible for  him  to  avoid  meeting  the  men  who  had  sent 
him  out  to  persecute  the  Christians ;  and  he  knew  the 
sentiment  prevailing  among  the  members  of  the  San- 
hedrin  and  the  Pharisees  well  enough  to  harbor  no  illu- 
sions as  to  what  they  would  do  to  him.  He  knew  also 
that  even  his  brethren  in  the  faith  would  look  upon 
him  with  some  suspicion.  It  was  not  to  be  expected 
that  they  would  at  once  have  full  confidence  in  him. 
But  there  was  a  still  deeper  reason  why  he  kept  so  long 
away  from  Jerusalem.  He  was  aware  that  the  Lord 
had  chosen  him  to  be  an  apostle ;  and  Paul  did  not  wish 
it  to  appear  in  any  way  as  if  he  had  received  his  in- 
struction from  any  of  the  apostles,  or  from  any  man. 
He  would  then  have  been  regarded  as  no  more  than  a 
pupil  of  the  other  apostles,  somewhat  after  the  manner 
of  Mark  and  Luke;  but  if  he  were  to  be  an  apostle  he 
must  have  his  instruction  and  commission  from  the  Lord 
Himself.  So  when  he  kept  away  from  Jerusalem  for 
three  years  it  was  to  avoid  putting  himself  in  a  wrong 
position  with  reference  to  the  other  apostles  and 
disciples. 

After  the  lapse  of  these  three  years  Paul  saw  that  now 
he  must  take  up  his  life-work;  and  he  felt  the  need  of 
going  to  Jerusalem  and  become  acquainted  with  the 
Church  and  its  leaders,  and  at  the  same  time  give  these 
the  opportunity  to  learn  what  manner  of  man  he  was. 
While  he  wanted  to  know  them,  it  was  just  as  necessary 
that  they  should  know  him,  in  order  to  do  away  with 
any  feeling  of  suspicion  or  any  ill  will  toward  him  and 
his  mission.  So  he  went  to  Jerusalem ;  taking  with 
him    Barnabas,    who    was    well    acquainted    with    the 


51 

apostles  and  could  introduce  him  to  them.  Between 
Paul  and  Barnabas  there  must  have  been  a  friendship 
of  long  standing. 

It  was,  of  course,  most  important  of  all  to  meet  the 
apostle  Peter,  who  was  the  strong  leader  in  the  Church, 
and  come  to  an  understanding  with  him ;  for  Paul 
understood  even  now  how  much  it  would  mean  for  him 
and  Peter  to  know  each  other  and  be  able  to  work  in 
complete  harmony.  These  two  foremost  men  of  the 
apostolic  age  spent  two  weeks  cultivating  an  intimate 
acquaintance  with  each  other;  and  there  need  be  no 
doubt  as  to  the  matters  which  they  discussed.  To  both 
of  them  the  meeting  was  a  great  event.  Many  episodes 
in  the  life  of  Jesus  and  all  sorts  of  personal  details  were 
related  to  Paul,  and  he  was  told  of  what  Jesus  had  said 
in  His  speeches.  All  this  became  very  useful  to  Paul  in 
his  later  work.  And  as  for  Peter,  it  must  have  been 
worth  much  to  him  that  he  had  learnt  to  know  this 
strong,  independent  spirit  which  dwelt  in  Paul. 

Incidentally  Paul  met  also  other  members  of  the 
Church.  But  he  did  not  become  intimately  acquainted 
with  any  except  James,  the  brother  of  Jesus,  who, 
because  of  his  ability  and  also  because  of  his  near  re- 
lationship with  the  Lord,  was  a  man  of  note  in  the 
Church. 

Paul  made  use  of  the  opportunity  to  preach  to  his 
own  misguided  people,  whom  he  so  earnestly  wished  to 
save,  and  particularly  to  the  Jews  who,  like  himself, 
had  been  born  in  the  Greek  provinces  outside  of  the 
Jews'  own  country.  But  he  met  only  opposition  and 
hatred,  so  that  it  was  even  dangerous  for  him  to  re- 
main in  Jerusalem. — Several  times  he  went  to  the  temple 
to  worship;  and  one  day  while  he  was  thus  devoutly 
praying  he  went  into  a  trance,  in  which  the  Lord  said 
to  him:  "Make  haste,  and  get  thee  quickly  out  of  Jeru- 
salem; for  they  will  not  receive  thy  testimony  concern- 


52 

ing  me.  Depart,  for  I  will  send  thee  far  hence  unto 
the  Gentiles." 

Now  Paul  had  received  his  commission  as  a  foreign 
missionary  from  the  Lord  Himself,  and  was  able  to  set 
forth  as  one  having  authority  from  God.  Bvit  he  had 
not  as  yet  received  instructions  as  to  where  he  was  to 
begin,  and  he  would  not  decide  this  for  himself;  he  had 
time  to  wait  until  the  Lord  should  point  out.  to  him 
just  what  to  do. 

He  as  well  as  the  brethren  understood  that  Jerusalem 
was  not  the  place  for  him;  to  remain  there  was  in  fact 
dangerous.  So,  after  a  stay  of  two  weeks  he  went  away. 
Barnabas  went  back  to  his  work  in  Antioch,  while  Paul 
made  his  way  to  Tarsus,  his  native  city. 

Paul  now  revisited  the  scenes  of  his  youth.  No 
doubt  there  had  been  many  changes.  He  had  come  back 
not  as  a  learned  rabbi,  but  as  a  humble  Christian;  and 
we  may  be  sure  that  during  this  visit  he  did  not  fail  to 
preach  Christ.  He  made  but  a  brief  stay,  however. 
Barnabas  knew  something  of  Paul's  great  power;  and 
the  work  in  the  Church  at  Antioch,  under  the  leader- 
ship of  Barnabas,  was  too  much  for  one  man.  Barnabas 
therefore  went  to  Tarsus  to  secure  the  assistance  of 
Paul,  and  came  back  to  the  Syrian  capital  bringing 
Paul  with  him. 

In  Antioch  Paul  found  a  large  Christian  Congrega- 
tion, in  which  there  also  were  many  former  Gentiles. 
Here  the  two  friends  labored  together  for  a  year. 
People  were  coming  to  their  meetings  in  steadily  in- 
creasing numbers,  and  it  was  necessary  to  increase  the 
force  of  teachers.  Then,  in  the  year  44,  during  the 
reign  of  Emperor  Claudius,  there  was  a  disastrous 
famine,  especially  severe  in  Judaea.  So  there  was  much 
suffering  among  the  Christians  as  well  as  among  the 
Jews  in  and  about  Jerusalem.  The  prophet  Agabus  had 
foretold  these  things  to  the  brethren  in  Antioch;  and 


53 

these  had  collected  funds  for  the  needy  Christians,  and 
Paul  and  Barnabas  were  sent  to  Jerusalem  with  the 
money. 

They  disposed  of  this  matter  and  then  returned  to 
Antioch,  where  they  for  a  time  continued  their  labors 
with  much  success.  The  Church  prospered  and  soon 
had  its  work  in  such  orderly  trim  that  the  leadership 
of  Paul  and  Barnabas  was  no  longer  needed;  these  men 
had  other  work  to  do.  The  Lord  made  it  known  to  the 
Church  at  Antioch  that  now  the  time  was  come  to  send 
them  to  preach  the  Gospel  of  life  in  new  places.  It 
was  an  impressive  event  in  the  Congregation  when  with 
fasting  and  prayer  and  the  laying  on  of  hands  Paul  and 
Barnabas  were  consecrated  and  sent  forth  on  their 
mission.     This  was  in  the  year  45  or  46. 

Here  we  have  the  beginning  of  Paul's  real  work  as 
a  missionary.  He  set  out  on  this  first  journey  accom- 
panied by  Barnabas,  and  by  Mark,  whom  they  had 
brought  with  them  from  Jerusalem. 

First  they  went  down  to  the  seaport  Seleucia,  and 
then  by  boat  over  to  the  island  of  Cyprus,  which  was 
the  home  of  Barnabas ;  and  they  traveled  the  whole 
length  of  the  island  from  Salamis  to  Paphos.  Though 
they  did  not  stay  here  long  the  Gospel  had  one  very 
notable  victory,  in  that  the  Roman  proconsul  Sergius 
Paulus  became  a  convert  to  the  Christian  faith.  A 
certain  Jewish  sorcerer  named  Barjesus  had  by  his 
wicked  arts  wormed  himself  into  the  confidence  of  the 
proconsul.  This  sorcerer  called  himself  Elymas,  i.  e., 
the  wise.  In  those  times  such  persons  were  highly  re- 
garded, something  like  the  alchemists  of  a  later  age. 
When  Barjesus  noticed  that  the  proconsul,  or  governor, 
was  inclined  to  accept  the  teaching  of  Paul  he  resorted 
to  all  manner  of  trickery  to  keep  him  from  doing  this. 
The  wily  sorcerer  was  afraid  of  losing  his  influence 
with  Sergius;  and  he  did  in  fact  put  himself  in  a  sorry 


54 

plight.  Paul  laid  bare  the  man's  hypocrisy  and  wicked 
cunning;  and  Barjesus  was  for  a  time  struck  blind. 
Thus  it  was  made  clear  to  the  governor  that  the  spirit 
and  power  of  the  Lord  were  with  Paul. 

From  Cyprus  the  missionaries  crossed  over  by  boat 
to  Attalia  in  Asia  Minor.  Paul's  plan  was  to  go  to 
the  interior  province  Galatia,  where  he  wished  to  preach 
the  Gospel.  He  was  not  concerned  about  his  own  com- 
fort or  security  when  he  decided  to  visit  these  parts; 
and  even  on  this  first  trip  he  was  to  experience  some- 
thing of  the  dangers  to  which  his  calling  exposed  him. 
Mark,  also  called  John,  went  with  the  others  as  far  as 
to  the  city  of  Perga  in  PamphyHa,  from  which  place 
the  road  led  up  among  the  mountains.  Mark  seems  to 
have  soon  tired  of  the  missionary's  strenuous  life ;  and 
having  also  heard,  no  doubt,  of  the  many  dangers 
threatening  on  the  proposed  journey  through  the  coun- 
try, he  lost  courage,  and  left  his  companions  and  went 
home  to  his  mother  Mary,  who  lived  in  Jerusalem  and 
was  highly  esteemed  by  all.  To  Paul  this  desertion  of 
the  work  by  Mark  was  a  sad  disappointment;  but  it 
could  not  stop  him  and  Barnabas.  They  continued  their 
journey  through  the  mountain  passes  of  Pisidia.  The 
roads  were  bad;  the  Romans  had  neglected  such  work 
in  these  districts.  Nor  had  much  been  done  for  the 
security  of  travelers.  There  was  but  a  small  garrison 
of  Roman  soldiers;  and  the  reputation  of  the  natives 
had  never  been  of  the  best.  Robberies  and  attacks  on 
the  caravans  passing  this  way  from  the  interior  down 
to  the  coast  were  matters  of  daily  occurrence;  and  a 
journey  through  the  country  was  thus  fraught  with 
danger,  especially  for  travelers  who  could  not  afford  to 
have  a  guard  with  them.  In  the  forests  and  ravines 
robbers  were  hiding.  For  the  greater  part  of  the  way 
the  road  lead  along  the  banks  of  the  river  Cestrus,  which 
here  was  a   swift  mountain   torrent.     There   were*  but 


few  bridges;  and  when  swollen  by  recent  rains  the  river 
could  not  be  forded  without  great  danger.  The  usual 
thing  was  to  build  a  sort  of  raft  on  which  to  float  the 
luggage,  and  then  swim  across  the  river.  When  de- 
scribing his  travels  (2  Cor.  11:26-27),  Paul  doubtless 
had  in  mind  some  of  the  experiences  of  this  journey: 
"I  have  been  in  journeyings  often,  in  perils  of  waters, 
in  perils  of  robbers,  in  perils  by  mine  own  countrymen, 
in  perils  by  the  heathen,  in  perils  in  the  city,  in  perils 
in  the  wilderness,  in  perils  in  the  sea,  in  perils  among 
false  brethren;  in  weariness  and  painfulness,  in  watch- 
ings  often,  in  hunger  and  thirst,  in  fastings  often,  in 
cold  and  nakedness."  Such  were  at  that  times  the 
troubles  of  a  poor  man  journeying  in  these  wild  regions. 
It  may  be  that  the  two  men  were  attacked  by  brigands, 
and  that  it  was  their  poverty  which  saved  them:  They 
went  bravely  on  through  the  dark  forests,  climbing  the 
mountains  and  swimming  the  rivers.  They  knew  that 
they  went  in  the  name  of  the  Lord,  and  that  He  who 
had  commanded  them  to  go  held  their  lives  in  His  hand. 
He  had  not  promised  them  ease  and  comfort;  but  He 
had  said  that  He  would  be  with  them,  and  so  they  could 
trust  Him  to  care  for  them.  And  the  two  wanderers 
have  doubtless  strengthened  each  other  by  speaking  to- 
gether of  their  Lord  and  Master,  and  exchanging  ex- 
periences, and  thus  shortening  the  weary  days. 

Their  first  goal  was  Antioch  in  Pisidia,  about  one 
week's  journey  from  Perga.  Antioch  occupied  a  beauti- 
ful site  in  a  fertile  region  up  on  the  highlands  of  Pisidia. 
Back  of  the  city  were  great,  snowclad  mountains;  and 
before  it  were  broad  fields  with  well-kept  gardens,  and 
to  the  west  near  by  a  fine,  large  lake.  From  the  heights 
near  the  city  one  had  a  grand  view,  when  the  setting 
sun  shed  its  golden  light  over  plain  and  mountain,  and 
over  the  city  with  its  grand  marble  palaces  and  temples. 
There  was  in  Antioch  a  Roman  colony.     A  number  of 


56 

veterans  had  their  homes  here,  and  the  city  was  the  seat 
of  one  of  the  Roman  courts  of  law.  In  beautiful  tem- 
ples the  powers  of  nature  were  worshiped.  Sacrifices 
were  offered  to  sun,  moon  and  stars ;  and  at  night  there 
were  torchlight  parades,  with  the  wildest  drunken  orgies 
and  unbridled  licentiousness.  It  was  to  the  Churches 
in  these  parts  that  the  apostle  afterwards  wrote  (Gal. 
4:8-9):  "When  ye  knew  not  God,  ye  did  service  to 
them  which  by  nature  are  no  gods.  .  .  .  And  now,  how 
turn  ye  again  to  the  weak  and  beggarly  elements,  where- 
unto  ye  desire  to  be  again  in  bondage?" 

Besides  the  large  heathen  population,  there  was  in 
Antioch  a  colony  of  Jews  who  were  different  from  their 
neighbors  in  life  and  faith,  and  who  kept  to  themselves 
and  worshiped  God  in  their  own  synagogue.  Occasion- 
ally Gentiles  also  attended  their  meetings ;  and  some  of 
these  Gentiles  were  persuaded  and  accepted  the  Jewish 
faith.  It  is  probable  that  there  were  several  such  prose- 
lytes in  Antioch. 

There  is  no  record  as  to  where  the  two  missionaries 
found  a  lodging.  We  may  assume  that  Paul  at  once 
looked  about  him  for  work  by  means  of  which  he  could 
earn  a  living,  as  he  intended  to  make  a  somewhat 
lengthy  stay  in  this  city.  When  the  Sabbath  came  the 
two  friends  went  to  the  synagogue.  While  the  noisy 
business  went  on  as  usual  among  the  Gentiles,  it  was  the 
custom  of  the  Jews  always  to  rest  on  the  Sabbath  and 
come  together  for  religious  services. 

Paul  always  went  to  the  synagogue  when  occasion 
offered,  in  order  to  hear  the  reading  of  the  holy  Scrip- 
tures, and  also  in  order  to  speak  to  the  Congregation. 
It  was  customary  for  the  rulers  of  the  synagogue  to 
ask  any  stranger  present  to  address  the  people,  espe- 
cially if  the  stranger  was  understood  to  be  a  rabbi.  Thus 
Paul  was  asked  to  speak  wherever  he  went.  And  he 
liked  best  to  speak  in  the  synagogues;  for  the  Roman 


57 

law  did  not  permit  the  preaching  of  a  new  reHgion, 
while  Judaism  was  tolerated  by  the  State. 

In  Antioch  it  came  about  as  Paul  had  expected. 
After  the  reading  of  the  usual  Scripture  lessons  and 
prayers  the  leaders  sent  a  servant  to  Paul  and  Barnabas, 
saying:  ''Ye  men  and  brethren,  if  you  have  any  word  of 
exhortation  for  the  people,  say  on."  Paul  then  stood  up 
and,  beckoning  with  his  hand,  spoke  to  the  audience  of 
Jews  and  proselytes.  His  sermon  is  reported  at  some 
length  in  Acts  13 ;  and  thus  we  get  a  fairly  accurate  idea 
of  his  style  of  preaching  to  audiences  in  a  Jewish  syna- 
gogue. He  calls  their  attention  to  the  manner  in  which 
God  has  led  His  people,  from  the  time  when  He  brought 
them  out  of  bondage  in  Egypt,  and  until  He  sent  them 
John  the  Baptist,  the  mighty  preacher  in  the  wilderness, 
who  was  to  prepare  the  hearts  to  receive  Him  whom 
God  would  send  to  save  His  people.  Then  'Paul  briefly 
and  graphically  outlined  to  them  the  life  of  Christ,  espe- 
cially His  passion,  death  and  resurrection.  He  described 
the  shameful  treatment  of  Him  by  the  Jews ;  who  were 
not  able,  however,  to  bring  about  His  destruction.  For 
He  rose  again,  according  to  the  promise  made,  thereby 
proving  that  He  was  indeed  the  Son  of  God  and  the 
promised  Messiah.  Therefore  His  messengers  preach 
salvation  and  remission  of  sin  in  His  name ;  and  all  who 
believe  on  Him  have  through  Him  the  righteousness 
which  no  man  can  earn  by  works  of  the  Law.  This 
great  message  was  now  come  to  those  in  Antioch;  and 
they  must  receive  it,  that  it  might  save  them,  and  that 
they  might  not  by  despising  it  call  down  upon  them- 
selves the  wrath  of  God. 

This  strong  sermon  by  the  apostle  made  a  deep  im- 
pression on  his  hearers,  dealing  as  it  did  with  the  free 
grace  of  God  toward  all  men;  and  when  they  came  out 
of  the  synagogue  they  surrounded  the  two  strangers 
and   thanked   Paul   for   what   he  had   said.     This   new 


58 

preaching  had  especially  appealed  to  the  Gentiles ;  it 
was  something  so  widely  different  from  the  stringent, 
cold  precepts  of  the  Law.  Many  Jews,  also,  were  im- 
pressed by  Paul's  interpretation  of  the  Old  Testament. 
Paul  and  Barnabas  were  therefore  earnestly  urged  to 
stay  with  them  and  continue  their  preaching. 

This  reception  of  his  message  must,  of  course,  have 
greatly  cheered  the  apostle.  From  day  to  day  many 
came  to  him  to  talk  with  him  about  the  one  thing  need- 
ful; and  he  diligently  used  the  opportunity  and  admon- 
ished them  to  continue  in  the  grace  of  God. 

When  Paul  and  Barnabas  came  to  the  synagogue  on 
the  following  Sabbath  they  found  a  packed  house  await- 
ing them.  The  fame  of  the  two  preachers  had  spread 
over  the  whole  city,  and  everybody  wanted  to  hear  them. 
But  the  rulers  of  the  synagogue '  were  in  a  dark  mood 
which  did  not  promise  well.  They  regarded  it  as  an 
affront  to  themselves  that  so  many  came  to  hear  these 
new  preachers ;  when  they  themselves  had  preached  the 
synagogue  had  been  more  than  large  enough.  The  past 
week  had  given  them  time  to  weigh  carefully  the  ser- 
mon of  Paul,  and  they  had  come  to  the  conclusion  that 
he  had  preached  a  dangerous  doctrine.  They  dared  not 
deny  him  the  right  to  speak;  but  whenever  he  said  any- 
thing which  they  did  not  like  they  ''spake  against  him, 
contradicting  and  blaspheming."  The  situation  became 
painful.  No  good  could  come  of  prolonging  it ;  so  the 
apostle  closed  his  speech  with  this  bold  declaration :  ''It 
was  necessary  that  the  Word  of  God  should  first  have 
been  spoken  to  you ;  but  seeing  ye  put  it  from  you,  and 
judge  yourselves  unworthy  of  everlasting  life,  lo,  we 
turn  to  the  Gentiles.  For  so  had  the  Lord  commanded 
us,  saying:  'I  have  set  thee  to  be  a  light  to  the  Gentiles, 
that  thou  shouldest  be  for  salvation  unto  the  ends  of 
the  earth.'  "  Then  all  was  still  in  the  synagogue,  it  had 
gone  as  long  since   foretold  by  the   Lord   through   the 


59 

prophet  Isaiah.  But  the  divine  words  which  silenced 
the  stubborn  Jews  filled  the  believing  Gentiles  with 
joy.  They  were  glad,  and  glorified  the  Word  of  God; 
for  that  the  doors  of  His  Kingdom  now  were  open  to 
them. 

This  episode  led  to  an  open  break  with  the  syna- 
gogue. The  apostle  saw  with  his  own  eyes  how  the 
Jews  rejected  the  Kingdom  and  its  blessings,  while  the 
Gentiles  received  it  with  gladness.  The  two  mission- 
aries were  obliged  to  find  another  meeting-place,  where 
they  could  preach  without  danger  of  inciting  a  revolt. 
Their  labors  brought  forth  a  rich  harvest;  before  long 
there  was  a  small  Christian  Congregation  in  the  city. 
But  not  only  this;  for  Paul  and  Barnabas  visited  also 
the  neighboring  districts,  where  they  preached  and  or- 
ganized Churches.  And,  as  Luke  says:  "The  Word  of 
the  Lord  was  published  throughout  all  the  region." 

In  this  way  the  two  friends  spent  at  least  a  year  in 
Antioch  and  its  vicinity.  It  was  not  to  be  expected  that 
the  Jews  would  be  satisfied  with  the  turn  of  events. 
Not  only  were  they  left  behind  by  the  strange  preachers ; 
but  the  worst  of  it  was,  that  if  what  these  strangers 
said  were  true,  then  the  Jews  were  in  nothing  better  than 
others ;  the  Law  and  all  else  on  which  they  built  were  of 
no  account.  And  when  they  understood,  also,  that  they 
could  accomplish  nothing  by  speaking  to  the  people,  who 
did  not  want  to  hear  them,  they  resorted  to  trickery ; 
and  as  usual,  this  proved  effective.  There  were  in  the 
city  certain  "devout  and  honorable  women,"  whom 
the  rulers  of  the  synagogue  succeeded  in  inciting  to 
fanatical  opposition  against  the  Christian  missionaries ; 
the  rulers  trusting  that  the  women  in  their  turn  would 
bring  the  men  over  to  their  same  way  of  thinking.  The 
plan  was  successful.  The  leading  men  of  the  city  were 
incensed  against  the  missionaries ;  there  was  a  riot,  and 
the    two    friends    were    brought    before    the    court    and 


60 

ordered  to  leave  the  city.  So  they  went  their  way,  while 
the  mob  followed  at  their  heels,  mocking  and  reviling 
them. 

From  Antioch  the  apostle  went  southeast  to  Iconium 
in  Lycaonia.  The  road  led  over  a  great  stretch  of  level 
desert;  hot  and  dusty  in  the  summer  season,  while  the 
winters  might  be  bitter  cold,  with  flurries  of  snow.  In 
a  beautiful  oasis  on  the  edge  of  this  desert  was  the  city 
of  Iconium,  which  still  is  a  pretty,  flourishing  place. 
At  the  time  with  which  we  are  dealing  it  was  a  large 
and  thriving  city.  There  was  a  Roman  garrison  and 
Roman  civil  officials,  and  the  city  was  the  capital  of 
Lycaonia.  It  was  on  the  great  highway  leading  east, 
and  this  made  it  an  important  trade  center.  Here  were 
also  many  Jews;  and  these  had  built  a  large,  fine  syna- 
gogue, in  which  they  and  numerous  proselytes  came  to- 
gether on  the  Sabbath.  The  city  was  three  or  four  days' 
journey  from  Antioch. 

Here  also  the  apostle  found  a  good  field  for  his 
labors.  The  people  had  but  little  faith  in  their  old  gods, 
and  were  looking  about  for  something  on  which  to  build 
up  a  new  religion. 

The  two  missionaries  began  their  work  in  the  same 
way  as  in  Antioch ;  they  went  to  the  synagogue  and 
were  invited  to  speak.  Paul  then  preached  to  them  the 
same  Gospel  message  which  he  had  preached  in  other 
places,  and  we  are  told  that  many  Jews  and  Greeks  be- 
lieved the  Word  and  accepted  the  Christian  faith.  It 
goes  without  saying  that  the  preachers  incurred  the 
enmity  of  many  of  the  Jews,  but  these  do  not  seem  to 
have  been  able  to  do  them  any  harm ;  the  friends  of  the 
apostle  were  too  many  and  too  powerful.  A  long  time 
therefore  they  abode  there,  probably  at  least  for  one 
year;  and  they  preached  boldly  and  gladly,  for  the  Lord 
"gave  testimony  unto  the  Word  of  His  grace,  and 
granted  signs  and  wonders  to  be  done  by  their  hands." 


01 

Thus  all  might  see  that  the  Lord  was  with  His  mes- 
sengers; and  soon  there  was  in  this  place  a  large  and 
flourishing  Church. 

However,  the  apostle  was  not  to  finish  his  work  here 
and  go  his  way  in  peace.  The  Christian  Congregation 
soon  had  a  larger  membership  than  the  Jewish  syna- 
gogue; and  the  Jews  could  make  no  more  proselytes, 
as  all  the  people  wanted  to  hear  Paul  and  Barnabas. 
The  Jewish  leaders  then  kept  up  the  agitation  against 
the  two  dangerous  preachers,  until  the  whole  city  was 
divided  into  two  factions,  those  who  were  with  Paul 
and  those  who  were  against  him.  When  the  Jews  had 
brought  their  party  to  the  proper  degree  of  fanaticism 
they  started  a  riot,  their  purpose  being  to  put  Paul  and 
Barnabas  to  shame  and  then  stone  them.  But  these  two 
men  were  warned  of  what  was  doing  and  made  their 
escape;  so  when  the  mad  mob  with  the  Jewish  rulers  at 
their  head  came  to  the  place  where  they  had  expected 
to  find  the  apostle,  he  had  disappeared.  Now  the  two 
men  must  try  to  find  a  place  in  which  they  might  be 
reasonably  safe  from  the  fury  of  the  Jews;  and  they 
therefore  journeyed  to  the  southeast  to  the  isolated  and 
little  known  city  of  Lystra. 

In  this  mountainous  district  were  no  Jews ;  and  as 
usual  in  isolated  valleys,  the  people  had  little  culture 
and  much  superstition.  They  spoke  their  own  peculiar 
dialect,  the  vernacular  of  this  part  of  Lycaonia,  but  seem 
to  have  understood  also  the  spoken  language  of  the 
Greeks.  So  the  two  men  were  well  hidden  and  could 
now  labor  in  peace  among  the  heathen.  They  arranged 
meetings,  and  the  Word  of  God  made  its  way  into  the 
hearts  of  the  people.  One  day  when  Paul  was  preach- 
ing, he  noticed  a  certain  man  who  seemed  to  be  espe- 
cially attentive  to  every  word.  He  was  ''impotent  in 
his  feet,  being  a  cripple  from  his  mother's  womb."  Paul 
pitied  the  poor  man,  and  interrupted  his  sermon,  turned 


62 

to  him  and  said  with  a  loud  voice:  "Stand  upright  on 
thy  feet."  And  the  miracle  happened.  The  lame  man 
felt  the  stream  of  life  course  through  his  withered 
limbs,  and  with  shouts  of  joy  he  leaped  up  and  walked. 
The  spectators  went  wild  with  enthusiasm;  and  there 
arose  a  rather  humorous  situation,  at  the  recollection  of 
which  the  apostle  must  often  have  smiled.  When  the 
people  saw  the  lame  man  leap  and  walk,  they  shouted 
to  one  another  in  the  speech  peculiar  to  Lycaonia: 
"The  gods  are  come  down  to  us  in  the  likeness  of 
men."  No  such  thing  had  ever  been  seen,  and  the  peo- 
ple could  think  of  no  better  explanation.  They  had  a 
legend  that  the  father  of  the  gods,  Zeus,  and  his  mes- 
senger, Hermes,  had  at  one  time  long  ago  taken  upon 
themselves  the  likeness  of  poor  men  and  had  wandered 
about  in  order  to  study  the  way  of  thinking  among 
mortals.  They  went  from  house  to  house,  and  were 
everywhere  turned  away.  At  last  they  came  to  a  poor 
hut,  where  lived  a  happy  man  and  wife,  Philemon  and 
Baucis.  There  the  gods  were  well  received  and  treated 
to  the  best  that  the  poor  place  afforded.  Next  day  the 
good  man  and  wife  learnt  that  their  guests  were  two 
of  the  gods  of  Olympus ;  and  these  promised  to  grant 
them  any  wish  that  they  might  agree  on.  So  Philemon 
and  Baucis  wished  that  they  might  live  in  good  health 
to  a  ripe  old  age,  and  then  die  on  the  same  day. 

Now,  when  the  simple-minded  and  superstitious  peo- 
ple saw  that  the  cripple  had  been  healed,  they  jumped 
to  the  conclusion  that  Barnabas,  who  was  an  imposing 
figure  and  had  little  to  ^y,  must  be  Zeus,  and  that  his 
eloquent  companion  must  be  Hermes.  The  greatest 
enthusiast  among  them  all  was  the  priest  in  the  temple 
of  Zeus,  just  outside  of  the  city.  He  insisted  that  great 
sacrifices  should  be  offered  in  honor  of  the  two  gods 
who  had  come  to  Lystra.  The  people  hurried  away ; 
and  before  long  they  came  back  with  song  and  music, 


63 

bringing  with  them  garlanded  oxen,  and  now  there  was 
to  be  a  great  sacrifice  in  honor  of  Paul  and  Barnabas. 

These  two  men  had  hardly  understood  what  was  in 
the  wind;  but  when  they  saw  the  concourse  of  people 
with  the  sacrificial  oxen  they  were  terrified,  and  made 
all  haste  to  stop  these  proceedings.  Paul  explained  to 
the  people  that  he  and  his  friend  were  not  gods,  but 
merely  ordinary  mortals  Hke  themselves,  and  that  the 
gods  in  whom  the  people  believed  did  not  exist.  Then 
he  began  speaking  to  them  about  the  living  God,  who 
had  created  heaven  and  earth  and  all  things  in  them ; 
who  in  times  past  suffered  all  nations  to  walk  in  their 
own  ways,  but  who  in  His  great  love  still  thought  of 
them,  and  gave  rain  and  fruitful  seasons,  filling  their 
hearts  with  gladness. 

Paul  barely  succeeded  in  preventing  the  sacrifice. 
The  missionaries  were  received  with  open  arms.  Peo- 
ple liked  to  hear  them;  and  so  they  remained  a  long 
time,  preaching  the  Word  in  the  city  and  in  the  sur- 
rounding country  districts. 

Thus  they  worked  for  a  long  time  without  hin- 
drance. But  at  last  the  Jews  in  Antioch  and  Iconia 
learnt  the  whereabouts  of  the  missionaries,  and  came 
to  Lystra  and  again  began  to  incite  the  populace  against 
the  two  men;  and  they  succeeded  in  their  design,  gain- 
ing over  to  their  side  a  large  number  of  those  easily 
influenced  citizens  of  Lystra.  As  soon  as  they  were 
many  enough  they  proceeded  to  carry  out  their  plan. 
There  was  a  riotous  demonstration ;  the  Jews  forced 
their  way  into  the  house,  laid  hands  on  the  troublesome 
apostle  and  dragged  him  out  into  the  street.  Now  the 
day  of  reckoning  had  come,  and  it  was  not  possible  for 
Paul  to  escape.  A  hail  of  stones  was  thrown  at  him, 
and  he  thought,  no  doubt,  that  his  last  hour  was  at 
hand.  He  probably  remembered  the  day  when  he  him- 
self  had   been   a    pleased    spectator    at    the    murder    of 


64 

Stephen  just  outside  the  walls  of  Jerusalem.  Now  the 
same  thing  was  being  done  to  him;  but  in  his  heart 
were  peace  and  joy,  and  he  commended  his  soul  to  God. 

The  Jews  had  satisfied  their  fury,  and  the  apostle 
was  lying  there  bloody  and  mutilated,  and  they  sup- 
posed that  he  was  dead.  Then  they  dragged  the  body 
out  of  the  city  and  left  it  as  food  for  the  vultures. 
They  then  felt  more  at  ease,  having  rid  themselves  of 
their  most  dangerous  enemy. 

When  the  infuriated  mob  had  left  the  coast  clear, 
Barnabas  and  the  other  Christians  went  out  for  the 
purpose  of  caring  for  the  body  of  the  murdered  apostle. 
Their  grief  because  of  the  loss  of  their  best  friend  and 
defender  was  turned  to  joy  when  they  noticed  signs  of 
life  in  the  torn  and  bleeding  body.  They  bound  up  his 
wounds  and  moistened  his  lips,  and  he  came  to  con- 
sciousness ;  and  loving  hands  supported  him  back  into 
the  city,  where  he  was  well  cared  for  in  the  home  of 
one  of  his  friends. 

But  Lystra  was  no  longer  a  safe  place  for  him.  If 
it  became  known  that  he  was  alive  the  Jews  would 
manage  to  find  him  again.  So  on  the  next  day  he  de- 
parted with  Barnabas  to  Derbe.  He  had  now  fully 
experienced  the  truth  of  that  which  the  Lord  said  of 
him  in  Damascus  :  "I  will  show  him  how  great  things 
he  must  suffer  for  my  name's  sake."  All  his  life  he 
carried  the  scars  received  in  Lystra ;  and  later  on  he 
reminds  the  Churches  in  these  parts  of  these  his  badges 
of  honor :  ''From  henceforth  let  no  man  trouble  me ; 
for  I  bear  in  my  body  the  marks  of  the  Lord  Jesus" 
(Gal.  6:  17).    These  were  his  signs  of  honor. 

Derbe  was  a  little  town  near  the  eastern  border  of 
Galatia.  The  apostle  was  broken  in  health,  but  this 
was  an  excellent  place  in  which  to  regain  his  strength. 
The  town  was  beautifully  situated  on  tire  shore  of  a 
fine,    large    lake,    and    Paul    always    remembered    with 


65 

pleasure  his  stay  in  Derbe.  It  came  to  be  a  blessed 
time  for  himself  and  for  the  Congregation  which  sprang 
up  around  him,  now  that  his  health  was  being  restored. 
We  do  not  know  where  he  lodged;  but  it  probably  was 
in  the  house  of  a  Jewish  widow  named  Eunice,  whose 
husband  had  been  a  Greek.  With  her  was  her  mother, 
a  good  old  Jewess  named  Lois ;  and  also  her  son  Tim- 
othy. This  family  later  earned  a  good  name  among 
the  Christian  Churches ;  and  Timothy  became  Paul's 
dearest  and  most  trusted  disciple. 

At  any  rate  Paul  was  cordially  received  in  Derbe, 
in  spite  of  the  marks  of  his  recent  maltreatment;  and 
the  kindness  now  lavished  on  him  must  have  cheered 
him  wonderfully.  In  Gal.  4:  13-15,  he  expresses  to 
these  people  his  deepest  gratitude :  ''Ye  know  how 
through  infirmity  of  the  flesh  I  preached  the  Gospel 
unto  you  at  the  first.  And  my  temptation  which  was  in 
my  flesh  ye  despised  not,  nor  rejected ;  but  received  me 
as  an  angel  of  God,  even  as  Christ  Jesus.  Where  is 
then  the  blessedness  ye  spake  of?  For  I  hear  your 
record,  that,  if  it  had  been  possible,  you  would  have 
plucked  out  your  own  eyes,  and  have  given  them 
to  me." 

Neither  Jew  nor  Gentile  seems  to  have  harmed  the 
apostle  in  any  way  during  his  stay  in  Derbe,  though 
there  were  many  Jews  in  this  city.  His  work  seems  to 
have  been  more  successful  here  than  at  any  other  place 
in  Galatia.  He  stayed  several  months  and  built  up  a 
thriving  Church.  Luke  says  (Acts  14:21)  that  he 
"preached  the  Gospel  in  that  city,  and  taught  many." 

The  apostle  was  now  at  the  last  station  of  his  first 
missionary  journey.  Nearly  five  years  had  elapsed 
since  he  and  Barnabas  set  out  from  Antioch  in  vSyria. 
It  is  no  wonder  that  they  were  longing  for  home.  Be- 
sides, there  were  other  places  in  which  they  wanted  to 
do  some  mission  work;  so  they  brought  this  first  ex- 


66 

pedition  to  a  close.  It  would  have  been  easiest  for 
them  to  follow  the  main  road  east  to  Antioch  in  Syria 
by  way  of  Tarsus.  But  Paul  was  more  interested  in 
doing  his  duty  than  in  taking  his  ease.  Naturally,  he 
also  wished  to  visit  once  more  the  Churches  which  he 
had  organized  and  learn  how  they  were  getting  on. 
He  himself  had  been  driven  out  from  some  of  the 
places ;  and  of  course  the  Churches  had  contended  with 
many  difficulties  in  the  early  days  of  their  history.  They 
were  exposed  to  hatred  and  persecution  on  the  part  of 
the  Jews;  but  while  persecutions  may  harass,  they  can 
not  destroy  a  Church  of  the  Lord.  Still,  the  Churches 
might  need  encouragement  and  comfort  in  these  troub- 
lous times ;  and  more  than  anything  else  they  needed 
guidance.  So  Paul  decided  to  go  home  by  way  of 
Lystra,  Iconium,  Antioch  and  Perga.  The  visit  to 
these  Christian  converts,  moreover,  cheered  him 
greatly;  for  he  saw  everywhere  that  while  they  had  suf- 
fered much,  they  yet  were  running  a  good  race.  They 
had  remained  loyal  to  the  Gospel ;  and  they  were  glad 
to  see  the  apostle  again,  though  it  were  but  for  a  short 
time.  Everywhere  he  spoke  words  of  good  cheer, 
though  he  did  not  hide  the  truth  that  we  must  enter 
the  Kingdom  through  many  tribulations;  for  which 
reason  it  is  the  more  important  that  we  remain  stead- 
fast in  the  faith.  He  himself  had  sufifered  much  on  his 
journey,  and  the  birth  of  these  Churches  had  caused 
him  much  pain.  He  had  been  hunted  as  if  he  were  a 
wild  beast,  been  reviled  as  an  outlaw.  But  one  must 
not  lose  heart;  the  joys  of  God's  Kingdom  would  be 
cheap  at  the  cost  of  much  suffering. 

The  apostle  was  glad  to  find  that  in  the  Churches 
there  were  some  persons  who  were  strong  in  the  faith, 
and  whose  Christian  experience  and  insight  were  such 
that  he  could  safely  place  the  leadership  in  their  hands. 
With  prayer  he  ordained  them  to  the  office,  and  com- 


67 

mended  them  to  the  care  of  the  chief  Shepherd,  on 
whom  they  beheved.  Thus  Paul  and  Barnabas  sought 
to  strengthen  the  Churches  and  to  encourage  them  to 
remain  true.  Then  the  two  missionaries  reached  the 
coast,  whence  they  went  home  by  boat  from  AttaHa. 

There  was  great  rejoicing  in  Antioch  in  Syria  when 
the  two  men  came  home  after  an  absence  of  five  years. 
The  Church  held  a  mission  festival.  All  were  glad  to 
see  the  beloved  evangelists;  and  their  joy  was  increased 
when  Paul  in  his  own  striking  way  related,  how  that 
God  had  done  great  things  through  Barnabas  and  him, 
and  had  opened  the  door  of  faith  to  the  Gentiles.  This 
was  the  gist  of  his  report,  and  it  surely  was  something 
for  which  to  rejoice  and  thank  God. 


VI.   Dangerous  Times. 

"I  went  up  (to  Jerusalem)  by  revelation,  and  comniuiii- 
cated  unto  them  that  Gospel  zvhich  I  preach  among  the 
Gentiles,  but  privately  to  them  which  were  of  reputation, 
lest  by  any  means  I  should  run,  or  had  run,  in  vain" 
(Gal.  2:2)'. 

Now  that  they  were  come  back  to  the  Church  in 
Antioch,  Paul  and  Barnabas  would  doubtless  have  been 
very  glad  to  rest  for  a  time  from  their  strenuous  labor ; 
but  it  did  not  last  for  long.  For  the  apostle  had  before 
him  a  new  fight,  more  dangerous  than  the  former  ones ; 
a  fight  which  threatened  to  destroy  not  only  himself, 
but  his  work;  to  discredit  his  teaching  and  tear  down 
his  Churches;  a  fight  not  with  enemies  on  the  outside, 
but  with  enemies  within  the  Church  itself;  and  these 
enemies  were  men  who  made  a  strong  pretense  of  great 
piety. 


68 

This  fight  was  to  last  while  the  apostle  lived,  and  to 
cause  him  much  sorrow  and  aching  of  heart.  Still, 
even  these  things  were  in  many  ways  to  benefit  both 
himself  and  the  Church;  for  through  them  the  vision 
of  Paul  was  clarified,  and  the  new  view  which  his  con- 
version had  given  him  of  the  Christian  religion  was 
strengthened.  The  Gospel  of  free  grace,  as  preached 
by  Paul,  came  to  stand  out  more  and  more  distinctly ; 
and  a  clearer  light  was  thrown  on  the  truths  that  Christ 
is  the  End  of  the  Law  for  righteousness  to  all  that  be- 
lieve ;  and  that  Christ,  who  died,  but  now  lives,  is  the 
only  Fount  of  life  and  salvation. 

The  Lord  had  richly  blessed  the  labors  of  Paul  and 
Barnabas  during  these  years.  Congregations  were 
founded  by  them ;  and  in  the  desert  of  heathendom 
there  were  oases  in  which  the  new  Christian  life  showed 
a  fine  growth.  Converted  Jews  and  Gentiles  dwelt  to- 
gether in  brotherly  harmony  and  rejoiced  in  the  sal- 
vation which  they  had  received.  Especially  was  this  the 
case  in  Antioch;  and  none  thought  that  this  brotherly 
love  of  Jew  and  Gentile  could  in  any  way  be   wrong. 

The  Christians  in  Jerusalem  had  rejoiced  over  the 
extension  of  the  Kingdom  of  Christ  through  the  mis- 
sionary efforts  of  Paul.  But  gradually  there  came  a 
change  over  them.  Conditions  in  Palestine  had  be- 
come more  peaceful ;  the  Christians  were  no  more  being 
persecuted  as  before.  There  was  no  longer  any  great 
danger  in  belonging  to  the   Christian   Church. 

At  this  time  there  came  into  the  Church  in  Jeru- 
salem certain  new  members,  who  had  belonged  to  the 
party  of  the  Pharisees.  They  may  have  been  impressed 
to  some  extent  by  the  preaching,  or  they  may  have 
been  attracted  by  the  life  which  the  Christians  led. 
They  became  very  active  members  of  the  Church,  and 
kept  careful  watch  of  Paul,  in  whom  they  had  little 
faith :  for  their  religious  view  was  widely  different  from 


69 

his.  To  them  Christianity  was  merely  Judaism  with 
certain  improvements.  Their  conversion  to  Christianity 
had  not  meant  any  radical  change;  they  remained  Jews, 
though  they  had  adopted  some  Christian  forms.  There- 
fore we  call  them  Judaists  and  speak  of  their  brand  of 
religion  as  Judaism. 

These  people,  as  already  stated,  kept  an  eye  on  Paul 
and  his  work;  they  saw  that  the  Church  was  coming 
under  the  control  of  former  Gentiles ;  these  were  al- 
ready in  the  majority.  And  what  was  still  worse,  these 
new  Gentile-Christian  Churches  were  not  being  man- 
aged from  the  headquarters  in  Jerusalem,  but  rather 
from  Antioch.  The  other  apostles,  appointed  by  the 
Savior  Himself,  had  no  authority  over  these  Churches : 
their  autocrat  was  Paul,  who  had  scarcely  seen  the 
Savior. 

Before  long  it  came  to  light  that  there  was  differ- 
ence of  opinion  on  this  matter  in  the  Mother  Church 
at  Jerusalem.  Some  of  the  Christians  gladly  supported 
Paul,  while  others  did  their  best  to  undermine  his  in- 
fluence. No  doubt  the  greater  number  were  uncertain 
as  to  what  position  they  should  take  in  the  matter. 

Narrow-minded  slaves  under  the  Law  never  are 
slow  to  find  fault.  These  people  wanted  to  make  sure 
of  what  they  had  heard ;  so  they  decided  to  obtain  a 
nearer  view  of  the  Pauline  methods,  and  of  conditions 
in  the  Churches  which  Paul  had  founded.  So  some  of 
them  went  to  Antioch.  This  was  an  ideal  place  for  the 
mischief-makers,  as  the  Congregation  was  made  up 
of  both  Jews  and  Gentiles,  and  the  city  was  the  center 
of  Paul's  activity.  This  was  a  good  place  in  which  to 
observe  the  liberty  obtaining  wherever  the  preaching 
of  Paul  had  come  to  rule  the  hearts.  Here  the  Law 
and  the  rite  of  circumcision  formed  no  barrier  between 
Jew  and  Gentile ;  all  were  one  in  Christ. 

It  is   probable  that  the  meddlers   came   while   Paul 


70 

and  Barnabas  were  absent  on  their  missionary  journey; 
and  they  at  once  began  to  sow  the  seeds  of  dissension. 
They  addressed  themselves  to  the  Jewish  Christians 
and  explained  to  these  how  that  they  had  done  wrong 
in  becoming  as  one  with  the  Gentiles ;  they  should  have 
remembered  that  they  themselves  were  Jews,  and  they 
should  have  kept  themselves  aloof  from  the  unclean 
and  uncircumcised  Gentiles.  These  Gentile  Christians 
were  not  to  be  regarded  as  Christian  brethren  on  an 
equality  with  the  others,  unless  they  accepted  circum- 
cision and  the  Mosaic  Law;  for  salvation  must  come 
through  adoption  into  the  Jewish  nation,  God's  own 
Chosen  People.  They  urged  also  that  Paul's  idea  of 
Christianity  and  the  Christian  life  was  a  new  invention 
of  his  own;  and  in  support  of  their  contention  they 
pointed  to  the  Mother  Church  in  Jerusalem,  explaining 
how  the  other  apostles  carefully  observed  the  precepts 
of  the  Law  of  Moses  in  its  every  detail.  And  so  they 
made  it  appear  that  the  other  apostles  were  opposed  to 
Paul  in  this  matter;  and  they  kept  up  a  persistent 
agitation  to  bring  about  discord. 

It  is  no  wonder,  then,  that  many  began  to  waver. — 
It  was  easy  to  understand  that  the  opinions  held  by 
these  men  from  Jerusalem  did  not  accord  with  the 
preaching  of  Paul;  and  the  question  forced  itself  on 
every  conscientious  soul :  Who  is  in  the  right,  Paul  or 
these  men?  If  these  were  in  the  right,  then  the  preach- 
ing of  Paul  was  worse  than  of  no  account.  And,  then 
again,  a  strict  observance  of  the  Law  impresses  many 
as  being  the  highest  sanctity,  while  it  is  more  difficult 
to  see  the  worth  of  Gospel  holiness  and  liberty.  It  was 
especially  difficult  for  the  Jews  to  free  themselves  from 
bondage  under  the  Law  ;  something  of  it  would  remain 
with  even  the  best  of  them.  Such  was  the  situation 
when  the  old  Mosaic  and  the  new  evangelical  view  first 
came  into  collision  in  the  Christian  Church. 


71 

The  strife  was  becoming  more  bitter  day  by  uay; 
and  if  it  were  not  settled,  the  resvilts  would  be  disas- 
trous. If  Paul  had  yielded  to  the  demands  of  the 
Judaists,  it  would  have  put  a  stop  for  all  time  to  his 
work  as  the  apostle  of  the  Gentiles,  and  that  which  he 
had  built  up  would  fall;  Christianity  could  not  have 
become  the  world  religion,  but  would  have  been  merely 
the  faith  of  a  Jewish  sect.  For  it  would  have  been  ut- 
terly impossible  to  change  the  Gentiles  into  Jews  and 
then  make  them  over  into  Christians.  On  the  other 
hand,  if  Paul  had  entirely  ignored  the  Jews,  the  young 
Christian  Church  would  have  been  hopelessly  disrupt- 
ed; there  would  have  been  two  distinct  Churches,  one 
of  Jews  and  one  of  Gentiles.  It  was  therefore  necessary 
to  have  it  clearly  brought  out,  just  what  stand  the  other 
apostles  would  take  toward  the  preaching  and  work  of 
Paul.  Thousands  of  Gentiles  had  through  him  been 
converted ;  and  these  had  the  right  to  know  whether 
or  not  they  deceived  themselves  in  regarding  their  sal- 
vation as  sure,  and  whether  or  not  they  were  in  truth 
Christians  and  brethren,  though  they  were  not  circum- 
cised and  did  not  observe  the  precepts  of  the  Jewish 
Law. 

Paul  and  Barnabas  fought  hard  against  the  Juda- 
ists; but  they  as  well  as  the  other  members  ot  the 
Church  understood  that  the  controversy  must  some  time 
be  settled.  So  it  was  found  necessary  to  visit  Jerusalem 
and  arrive  at  some  agreement  with  the  Mother  Church 
at  that  place  and  with  the  other  apostles.  Paul  was 
strengthened  in  this  purpose  by  a  revelation  from 
Heaven.  He  went,  therefore,  taking  with  him  his  co- 
laborer  Barnabas.  These  two  had  all  the  time  worked 
together  in  fullest  harmony  through  good  and  evil  re- 
port; besides,  Barnabas  was  well  acquainted  in  Jerusa- 
lem, and  was  held  in  high  esteem  by  the  Christians  in 
that  city.     Paul    took    with    him    also    Titus,    a    young 


72 

Gentile  Christian,  of  whom  he  had  great  expectations. 
He  wanted  the  brethren  in  Jerusalem  to  see  one  of  his 
Gentile  converts  and  thus  learn  something  of  the  fruit 
which  his  work  already  had  borne. 

As  soon  as  the  three  men  had  arrived  in  Jerusalem 
a  meeting  was  arranged  to  discuss  the  matter  on  which 
they  desired  the  Mother  Church  to  pass,  and  the  situa- 
tion was  at  once  made  clear.  The  "false  brethren,"  the 
Judaists,  grasped  the  opportunity  to  make  a  violent 
assault  on  Paul,  and  to  demand  that  the  Gentile  con- 
verts should  be  circumcised  and  be  held  to  obedience 
under  the  Law  of  Moses.  First  of  all  Paul  was  to  be 
brought  to  his  knees;  for  which  reason  they  insisted 
that  he  should  show  his  obedience  by  allowing  Titus  to 
be  circumcised.  For  it  had  greatly  ofifended  them  that 
an  uncircumcised  man  came  among  them ;  to  fraternize 
with  unclean  persons  of  Gentile  birth  would  degrade  the 
Church  in  the  eyes  of  all  Jews.  They  had  rehgious 
fanaticism  and  national  prejudice  on  their  side,  and 
these  were  a  strong  support.  The  Jewish  leaders  spoke 
with  authority;  and  they,  no  doubt,  struck  a  popular 
chord.  For  it  went  against  the  grain  with  most  of  the 
Jews  to  recognize  the  heathen  converts  as  entitled  to 
full  brotherhood.  The  Jewish  Christians  might  admit 
the  Gentiles  to  some  sort  of  inferior  brotherhood  with 
them ;  but  Paul  was  not  satisfied  with  that  kind  of  con- 
ditional recognition. 

So  it  devolved  on  Paul  to  defend  his  gospel  against 
the  spokesmen  of  the  Jews.  He  understood  the  impor- 
tance of  the  matter.  He  must  make  it  plain  that  these 
Judaists  and  their  doctrine  did  not  rightfully  belong  to 
the  Christian  Church ;  that  they  were  false  brethren, 
who  had  come  into  the  Church  for  the  purpose  of 
destroying  Christian  liberty  and  again  bringing  the 
Christians  into  bondage  under  the  Law.  Paul  could  see 
through  their  purpose  in  all  its  bearings ;  and  therefore 


73 

he  stood  firm  in  his  opposition,  that  the  truth  of  the 
Gospel  might  remain  with  them.  In  this  matter  he 
could  not  yield ;  to  have  done  so  would  have  been  to 
sacrifice  the  richest  treasure  of  the  faith ;  the  full,  free 
Gospel  of  grace. 

The  other  members  of  the  Church,  as  well  as  the 
apostles  present,  followed  the  discussion  with  great  in- 
terest, but  without  taking  any  part  in  it.  When  Paul 
had  paid  his  respects  to  the  Judaists  he  took  up  the 
other  phase  of  the  question :  He  and  Barnabas  de- 
scribed their  labors  and  life  out  in  the  mission  fields 
so  forcibly  and  clearly  that  the  Church  could  not  fail 
to  see  that  these  men  had  labored  in  God's  own  cause. 
Against  their  plain  statement  the  opposition  had  no 
leg  to  stand  on;  the  facts  spoke  more  loudly  than  any 
words.  None  could  deny  that  Paul  had  done  the 
Lord's  work.  And  had  not  the  Lord  Himself  pro- 
phesied concerning  the  fullness  of  the  Gentiles,  and 
foretold  how  they,  in  the  last  days,  were  to  come  from 
every  land  and  find  a  home  in  the  Kingdom  of  God? 
Jesus  had  indeed  many  times  made  mention  of  the  faith 
of  certain  Gentiles  as  against  the  unbelief  of  Israel. 
Besides,  Paul  spoke  but  the  truth  when  he  declared 
that  even  the  Jewish  Christians  did  not  build  their 
assurance  of  salvation  on  the  Law,  but  built  all  their 
hopes  on  Jesus,  His  death  and  resurrection.  The  same 
was  true  of  the  Gentiles  also. 

Thus  the  case  stood.  A  decision  must  now  be  ar- 
rived at;  and  the  future  of  the  Christian  Church  hung 
in  the  balance.  This  was  doubtless  the  most  critical 
moment  in  the  history  of  the  Church.  On  the  one  side 
stood  Paul,  strong  and  unshaken  with  his  free  Gospel, 
which  to  most  seemed  more  or  less  strange  if  not  dan- 
gerous. And  on  the  other  side  were  the  Judaists, 
fighting  with  all  their  might  for  the  old  Jewish  ideas. 
To  approve  the  preaching  of  Paul  seemed  to  them  like 


74 

signing  their  own  death  warrant ;  or  even  the  same  as 
the  fall  of  the  Law  itself,  and  the  surrender  of  their 
last  hope  that  the  Jews  were  to  be  foremost  among 
the  people.  For  if  the  Pauline  Christians  were  fully 
recognized  as  brethren,  the  Gentiles  would  be  as  near 
to  God  as  were  the  Jews;  to  them  such  a  thought  was 
revolting.  They  could  not  grasp  the  idea  that  they, 
who  were  of  the  seed  of  Abraham,  and  who  had  the 
Law  and  the  Covenants,  now  were  at  one  with  the 
Gentile  believers.  The  Jewish  privileges  were  to  be 
as  nothing;  and  the  Gentiles  were  to  be  their  equals, 
and  this  without  being  circumcised  and  without  being 
under  obligations  to  observe  the  Mosaic  Law.  The 
force  of  habit  is  strong;  and  these  Jews  had  always 
felt  bound  to-  observe  conscientiously  in  every  detail 
the  Law  and  the  old  traditions. 

How  was  one  now  to  find  the  right  way  through 
these  entanglements? 

At  the  crucial  moment  Peter  placed  himself  squarely 
on  the  side  of  Paul;  and  Peter  was  a  tower  of  strength. 
His  love  of  Jesus  gave  him  an  insight  into  the  heart 
of  Paul,  who  was  inspired  by  the  same  love  of  the 
Savior.  Thus  took  place  the  meeting  between  the 
two  greatest  men  in  the  early  Christian  Church.  The 
bond  between  them  was  their  common  love  of  the  cru- 
cified and  risen  Savior,  a  bond  that  was  stronger  than 
all  things  else ;  it  made  the  matter  clear  to  Peter,  and 
all  doubts  were  swept  away.  In  his  address  Peter  re- 
ferred to  his  own  experience.  God  had  sent  him  also 
with  the  Gospel  to  the  Gentiles,  that  these  might  be- 
lieve ;  and  God  had  made  no  distinction  between  Jew 
and  Gentile ;  He  had  cleansed  the  heart  of  the  Gentiles 
also  through  faith,  and  had  given  them  His.  holy 
Spirit.  To  impose  the  yoke  of  the  Law  on  the  Gentile 
Christians  would  therefore  be  to  tempt  God;  especially 
since    the    Jews    themselves    were    unable    to   bear   this 


75 

yoke.  Besides,  the  way  of  salvation  was  the  same  for 
all;  "for  we  believe  that  through  the  grace  of  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ  we  shall  be  saved  even  as  they."  Peter, 
therefore,  most  wholeheartedly  gave  Paul  the  hand  of 
brotherhood. 

This  act  of  Peter  did  him  all  honor.  Once  he  had 
in  an  evil  hour  denied  his  Lord  and  Master;  but  now 
he  stood  firm  and  thus  saved  the  Church  in  its  hour  of 
greatest  danger.  The  place  of  honor  in  the  Church 
which  Peter  holds  belongs  to  him  by  right. 

When  Peter  had  spoken  many  followed  him :  first 
of  all  James,  the  Lord's  brother.  It  was  his  opinion 
also,  he  said,  that  no  unnecessary  burden  should  be  laid 
on  the  Gentiles  who  became  Christians ;  still  it  was  to 
be  hoped  that  out  of  respect  to  the  Jewish  brethren 
the  Gentile  converts  would  abstain  from  meat  offered 
to  idols,  and  from  things  strangled,  and  from  blood, 
and  from  fornication.  To  this  demand  Paul  made  no 
objection;  for  what  James  demanded  was  something 
which  really  went  without  saying,  and  which  was  in 
no  way  an  infringement  of  Christian  liberty. 

John  also  was  of  one  mind  with  Peter  and  James, 
and  the  Congregation  followed  its  leaders.  Thus  the 
meeting  became  a  complete  victory  for  Paul.  His  work 
as  a  missionary  was  endorsed,  and  his  apostolic  author- 
ity and  the  rights  of  the  Gentile  brethren,  who  were 
free  of  the  Mosaic  Law,  were  recognized  by  the  Mother 
Church  and  its  leaders.  The  future  work  was  divided 
in  such  a  way  that  Paul  was  to  go  to  the  Gentiles  and 
the  other  apostles  should  labor  among  the  Jews.  The 
agreement  was  solemnly  ratified ;  and  Paul  did  not 
forget  the  request  put  up  to  him  before  his  return  to 
Antioch,  that  he  should  collect  substantial  help  for  the 
poverty-stricken  Jews  in  Jerusalem. 

This  Council  at  Jerusalem  thus  came  to  have  great 
importance    for    the    ages    following.      It    marked    the 


7G 

transition  from  the  Jewish-Christian  Church  to  the 
Church  universal,  the  Hberation  of  Christianity  from 
the  bonds  of  the  Old  Covenant,  and  its  recognition  as 
an  independent  religion  in  which  is  no  distinction  of 
Jew  and  Gentile,  but  in  which  all  are  one  in  Christ. 
This  was  a  moment  of  overwhelming  importance;  one 
of  the  clearest  of  proofs  that  the  Lord  cares  for  His 
Church  on  earth.  Those  present  at  the  meeting  saw 
clearly  how  that  the  grace  and  power  of  God  had  been 
with  these  men  in  their  work ;  and  as  they  in  faith 
looked  to  the  Lord,  His  Spirit  led  them  to  pass  reso- 
lutions the  importance  of  which  but  few  of  them  could 
then  fully  understand. 

The  fight  against  the  Judaists  was  not,  however, 
ended.  They  had,  to  be  sure,  lost  the  skirmish  in 
Jerusalem,  but  they  could  be  counted  on  to  find  rrfeans 
of  making  a   fresh  attack. 

After  the  meeting  there  was  for  a  time  general  re- 
joicing over  the  outcome,  especially  in  Antioch ;  but 
none  was  more  happy  than  was  the  warm-hearted 
Peter.  His  happiness  did  not  permit  him  to  remain  at 
home ;  he  must  needs  pay  a  visit  to  the  brethren  in 
Antioch.  Here  he  found  the  Jewish  and  Gentile 
Christians  dwelling  together  in  perfect  harmony;  and 
the  many  regulations  of  the  Jewish  Law  did  not  pre- 
vent them  from  eating  at  the  same  table  and  cultivat- 
ing mutual  friendship.  Paul  and  Barnabas  had  them- 
selves set  the  good  example.  When  Peter  came  he 
joined  them  in  this,  with  no  thought  whatever  of  any- 
thing wrong.  For  they  all  were  brethren  in  Christ; 
and  clearly,  if  there  were  to  be  any  brotherhood  at  all 
the  several  factions  must  be  willing  to  yield  and  give 
way,  where  necessary,  in  non-essentials.  And  at  the 
meeting  in  Jerusalem  it  had  been  agreed  on  that  the 
Gentile  Christians  were  to  be  free  of  the  Jewish  Law ; 
and,  very   naturally,  the  Jewish   Christians  of  Antioch 


77 

placed  themselves  on  the  more  liberal  standpoint  of  the 
Gentile  brethren. 

Rumors  of  these  doings  in  Antioch  soon  reached 
Jerusalem;  and  the  Judaists  again  began  to  get  busy. 
They  urged  that  the  conference  of  the  apostles  had 
agreed,  to  be  sure,  that  the  Gentile  Christians  were  not 
to  be  held  strictly  to  the  Mosaic  Law;  but  this  did 
not  mean  that  the  Jews  also  were  to  be  exempt.  These 
were  Jews  and  circumcised,  and  therefore  under  obli- 
gation to  live  as  Jews  and  keep  aloof  from  the  life 
of  the  Gentiles.  Many  members  of  the  Mother  Church 
at  Jerusalem  again  began  to  have  thfeir  former  scruples 
in  this  matter,  and  among  them  was  James. 

Some  of  the  brethren  were  sent  to  investigate  con- 
ditions in  Antioch.  These  at  once  caused  trouble  in 
the  Congregation ;  for  the  liberal  spirit  prevailing 
among  the  Christians  in  Antioch  was  something  which 
they  could  not  understand.  Their  Jewish  principles 
were  more  strict;  and  they  urged  on  the  Jewish  Chris- 
tians that  these  were  doing  wrong  in  thus  associating 
on  equal  terms  with  the  Gentile  Christians,  and  de- 
manded that  they  keep  themselves  apart.  It  seemed, 
unfortunately,  as  if  these  demands  were  supported  by 
the  Church  in  Jerusalem ;  and  so  the  Jewish  Christians 
in  Antioch  dared  not  resist,  but  gave  way  to  the  in- 
sistant  demands.  Many  of  the  Jewish  Christians  be- 
gan to  waver;  and  the  messengers  from  Jerusalem 
brought  such  influence  to  bear  that  even  Peter  drew 
away  from  Paul.  And  even  Paul's  faithful  friend  Bar- 
nabas was  induced  to  follow  Peter's  example.  It  is  not 
known  whether  or  not  Paul  himself  was  present  in  An- 
tioch at  this  time. 

Thus  the  wound  was  opened  again  almost  as  soon 
as  healed.  Trouble  was  at  the  door;  and  this  time  it 
was  the  more  threatening  as  even  Peter  and  P)arnabas 
had   1:>roken   with   the   Gentile   Christians.      So   some   of 


78 

these   began   to   think   that   it   probably   were   best   for 
them  to  begin  Hving  after  the  manner  of  the  Jews. 

It  now  seemed  that  the  structure  which  Paul  with 
so  much  labor  had  built  up  in  Jerusalem  was  to  be 
torn  down  at  home  in  his  own  Congregation;  that  the 
Church  was  to  be  divided  into  two  camps.  The  Jews 
would  then  look  down  upon  the  Gentile  Christians  as 
brethren  of  a  lower  estate.  This  new  movement  was  a 
severe  blow  to  Paul,  and  the  conduct  of  Peter  and 
Barnabas  especially  pained  him  grievously.  However, 
the  movement  must  be  stopped;  should  it  gain  force  it 
would  soon  disrupt  the  Church.  So  Paul  rose  against  it 
with  his  whole  might.  He  called  the  Congregation  to- 
gether; and  he  openly  attacked  Peter,  charging  him 
with  hypocrisy,  and  with  having  by  his  want  of  firm- 
ness done  great  harm  to  the  Church.  He  knew  Peter 
well  enough  to  feel  sure  that  he  was,  in  spite  of  his 
wavering  attitude,  an  honest  man,  who  loved  the  Lord. 
and  who  was  big  enough  to  accept  correction.  So 
Paul  did  not  accuse  Peter  of  moral  cowardice  or  weak- 
ness ;  but  he  points  out  that  Peter  had  not  looked 
deeply  into  these  matters,  and  therefore  had  not  been 
consistent.  For  Peter  had  taken  the  lead  at  the  con- 
ference in  Jerusalem,  and  had  recognized  the  Gentile 
Christians  as  full  brethren ;  and  when  he  came  to  An- 
tioch  he  had  heartily  accepted  the  mode  of  life  there  in 
vogue  in  the  Church,  and  had  thus  admitted  that  non- 
essentials should  not  cause  division  among  Christian 
brethren.  But  when  the  messengers  came  from  Jeru- 
salem he  began  to  waver  and  hold  himself  aloof,  and 
had  thus  brought  a  strong  moral  pressure  to  bear  on 
many  of  the  Gentiles,  who  looked  up  to  Peter  with 
the  greatest  respect.  This  was  the  complaint  which 
Paul  had  against  Peter.  Paul  urged,  moreover,  that 
things  go  wrong  when  one  does  not  follow  strictly  the 
truth  of  the  Gospel;  and  he  reminded  Peter  of  their 


79 

common  experience.  For  both  were  Jews,  belonging 
from  their  birth  to  the  people  of  the  Covenant,  thus 
having  the  Jews'  advantage  over  the  Gentiles.  They  had 
the  Law  and  had  tested  it  as  a  Means  of  Salvation,  and 
had  reached  the  result  that  man  "is  not  justified  by  the 
works  of  the  Law,  but  through  faith  in  Christ  Jesus." 
And  this  was  the  very  reason  why  they  had  accepted 
the  faith  in  Jesus ;  they  had  grasped  the  truth  that  "no 
flesh  is  justified  by  the  works  of  the  Law." 

Every  other  form  of  doctrine  trifles  with  the  grace 
of  God ;  for  the  death  of  Christ  would  be  meaningless 
could  righteousness  be  obtained  through  the  Law. 

Paul  laid  such  great  stress  on  these  reHgious 
truths ;  for  he  knew  that  if  they  were  fully  accepted 
there  would  be  no  further  trouble  in  regard  to  the 
intercourse  between  the  Jewish  and  the  Gentile  mem- 
bers of  the  Church.  For  if  Christ  is  the  end  of  the 
Law  unto  righteousness,  He  is  this  to  all  people ;  and 
if  He  is  the  one  and  only  way  of  salvation  for  all,  the 
Law  has  no  right  to  divide  those  who  are  one  in 
Christ ;  for  in  Him  all  are  equally  free.  The  Jewish 
Christians  should,  therefore,  not  let  their  conscience  be 
burdened  by  the  precepts  of  the  Law. 

This  powerful  speech  by  Paul,  the  outlines  of  which 
are  set  down  in  the  14th  and  following  verses  of  Gala- 
tians  2.  cleared  the  atmosphere.  His  words  were  not 
to  be  misunderstood.  Now  the  people  saw  clearly  that 
Paul  was  in  the  right.  The  Church  breathed  more 
easily ;  for  the  truth  makes  free. 

These  events  took  place  in  the  year  50  or  5L 


80 

VIL    Through  Asia  Minor  to  Greece. 

"1  say  then,  Have  they  stumbled  that  they  should  fall^ 
God  forbid:  but  rather  through  their  fall  salvation  is  come 
unto  the  Gentiles,  for  to  provoke  them  to  jealousy''  (Rom. 
11:11). 

As  soon  as  the  excitement  in  Antioch  had  subsided, 
and  peace  had  been  reestabhshed,  Paul  decided  on  a 
new  missionary  undertaking.  He  planned  to  visit  the 
Churches  founded  by  him  throughout  Asia  Minor.  So 
he  asked  Barnabas  to  go  with  him  on  this  journey 
also.  They  had  worked  together  for  years,  and  Bar- 
nabas had  been  with  him  on  the  previous  journey.  But 
it  now  developed  that  Barnabas  was  less  willing  than 
he  had  been.  He  declared  that  he  would  not  go  unless 
his  cousin  Mark  went  with  them.  Paul  could  not  agree 
to  this  arrangement,  as  Mark  had  greatly  displeased 
him  by  deserting  him  at  Perga  on  their  first  missionary 
journey.  It  is  possible  also  that  Barnabas  did  not  like 
to  travel  with  Paul  at  this  time,  just  after  the  trouble 
in  Antioch.  Paul  was  not  in  the  habit  of  sparing  those 
who  needed  correction;  and  no  doubt  he  had  told 
Barnabas  some  wholesome  but  unpleasant  truths. 

Paul's  absolute  refusal  to  take  Mark  with  them  led 
to  a  painful  break  of  the  old  friendly  relations  between 
Paul  and  Barnabas.  Each  of  them  felt  aggrieved  and 
went  his  separate  way.  The  account  in  the  Acts  of  the 
Apostles  does  not  make  it  clear  on  which  of  the  two 
the  greater  share  of  the  blame  must  be  placed. 

Paul  must  then  look  about  for  another  companion; 
and  he  found  such  a  one  in  Silas,  who  had  been  sent 
from  Jerusalem  to  Antioch  with  the  resolutions 
adopted  by  the  big  conference  in  the  Jewish  capital. 
So  these  two  started  out,  in  the  year  51,  on  Paul's 
second  great  missionary  journey.  Barnabas  and  Mark 
went  as  missionaries  to  Cyprus. 


81 

Paul  this  time  went  through  Syria  and  CiUcia;  fol- 
lowing, probably,  the  main  highway,  leading  through 
the  so-called  ''Gate  of  Syria,"  a  narrow  mountain  pass 
in  the  wild  region  between  Syria  and  Cilicia.  This 
highway  is  still  in  use.  At  the  time  in  question  this 
road  was  of  immense  importance,  as  it  was  the  main 
highway  of  trade  between  the  Mediterranean  countries 
in  the  West  and  the  wealthy  and  populous  regions  of 
Syria  and  Mesopotamia.  The  road  was  fairly  alive  with 
trade  caravans,  Roman  troops,  officials  and  journeymen 
artisans. 

At  the  stations  along  the  way  were  villages  and  cities ;. 
and  in  many  of  them  there  were  Christian  Congrega- 
tions founded  by  evangelists  from  Antioch.  Some- 
times our  two  travelers  left  the  main  highway  and 
followed  roads  branching  off  to  towns  in  which  there 
were  Churches.  It  was  Paul's  purpose  to  visit  all  the 
Congregations  round  about  in  these  countries.  He 
knew  that  they  needed  to  be  confirmed  in  the.  truth,  in 
order  that  they  might  not  be  corrupted,  should  the 
cunning  Judaists  visit  them  and  try  to  lead  them 
wrong. 

As  the  two  missionaries  advanced  through  CiHcia 
the  road  led  upward  higher  and  higher.  It  found  its 
way  among  the  mountains,  along  the  banks  of  roaring 
torrents,  through  dark  forests,  through  fertile  valleys 
and  over  arid  plains.  The  Romans  had  shown  great 
skill  in  building  and  maintaining  this  highway  of  trade. 

Many  mighty  military  conquerors  had  led  their 
troops  through  these  regions.  Here  had  marched  the 
armed  hosts  of  Darius  and  Xerxes.  Here  Alexander 
the  Great  had  later  on  led  his  invincible  Macedonians 
to  the  East;  and  at  a  still  later  date  the  Roman 
generals  had  led  their  intrepid  legions  over  this  road 
eastward  to  make  conquest  of  distant  lands.  But  just 
now   we   have   before   us   only  two   peaceable   travelers 


82 

making  their  way  westward  on  foot, — and  still  they 
were  to  write  their  names  indelibly  on  the  pages  of  the 
world's  history.  Here  we  have  a  tour  of  conquest  by 
the  mightiest  spiritual  captain  who  ever  trod  the  scene 
of  history.  His  sword  was  sharper  than  any  two- 
edged  weapon  of  war,  piercing  even  to  the  dividing 
asunder  of  soul  and  spirit,  discerning  the  thoughts  and 
intents  of  the  heart;  and  the  arm  which  wielded  this 
sword  was  strong  in  the  Lord  and  in  the  power  of 
His  might.  He  had  on  the  whole  armor  of  God,  so 
that  he  was  able  to  stand  against  the  whiles  of  the  Devil 
and  against  spiritual  wickedness  in  high  places.  His 
loins  were  girt  about  with  truth,  he  was  protected  by 
the  breastplate  of  righteousness,  and  on  his  arm  was 
the  shield  of  faith ;  on  his  head  was  the  helmet  of 
salvation,  and  his  feet  were  shod  with  the  preparation 
of  the  Gospel  of  peace. 

None  of  the  many  whom  the  two  wayfarers  met 
knew  anything  about  this  insignificant-looking  Jewish 
artisan.  They  saw  nothing  great  in  him;  but  the  Lord 
knows  His  own,  and  He  could  measure  the  greatness 
of  this  tentmaker. 

The  travelers  were  on  their  way  to  visit  the 
Churches  of  Galatia.  x\fter  passing  across  the  Cilician 
mountains  they  descended  to  the  great  plain  which 
forms  a  large  part  of  the  central  district  of  Asia  Minor : 
and  there  they  visited  Derba  and  Lystra  and  Iconium 
in  Lyaconia,  and  then  Antioch  in  Pisidia.  In  these 
cities  Paul  had  founded  Churches  on  his  former  jour- 
ney, and  his  purpose  now  w^as  to  strengthen  them  in 
the  truth.  Especially  did  he  lay  great  stress  on  in- 
struction concerning  their  attitude  toward  the  Jewish 
Law;  and  he  told  them  about  the  resolutions  agreed  on 
by  the  conference  at  Jerusalem,  so  that  they  might 
stand  fast  in  the  event  that  any  should  come  and  try 
to   force    upon   them   any   Judaistic    heresies.      His    ef- 


83 

forts  bore  rich  fruit;  the  old  Congregations  were 
strengthened,  and  new  ones  were  founded.  In  Lystra 
Paul  was  joined  by  the  pious  and  talented  Timothy, 
who  under  the  direction  of  the  apostle  prepared  him- 
self for  the  work  of  an  evangelist ;  and  he  became  one 
of  Paul's  best  co-workers. 

After  having  thus  visited  the  Galatian  Churches  it 
was  Paul's  plan  to  continue  his  mission  work  westward 
through  Asia  Minor ;  and  in  pursuit  of  this  plan  he 
traveled  through  Phrygia  and  Galatia,  without,  how- 
ever, taking  up  any  new  work  in  these  districts.  There- 
wTre  circumstances  making  it  plain  to  him  that  the  be- 
ginning of  such  new  work  in  these  places  would  not 
now  be  in  accordance  with  God's  will.  So  he  traveled 
also  through  Mysia  without  making  any  stop,  and 
came  down  to  the  city  of  Troas.  This  was  at  that 
time  a  populous  and  important  city.  It  was  the  usual 
harbor  from  which  to  set  sail  for  European  ports.. 
Here  was  a  meeting-place  of  Asiatics  and  Greeks,  and 
the  streets  and  the  harbor  were  alive  with  busy  traffic. 

When  the  missionaries  reached  this  wide-awake- 
and  beautifully  situated  city  and  saw  its  swarming  life, 
it  must  have  come  home  to  Paul  as  the  will  of  God 
that  he  was  to  go  over  to  the  Greeks  and  bring  them 
the  message  of  salvation.  It  is  probable  that  he 
stopped  for  some  time  in  Troas  and  preached- the  Gos- 
pel; for  we  read  in  Acts  20  that  there  was  a  Church 
in  this  city,  no  doubt  founded  by  Paul  at  this  time.. 
And  in  Troas  he  found  a  new  worker  for  the  King- 
dom ;  a  man  who  became  very  useful  to  the  apostles,, 
and  to  whom  the  whole  Christian  Church  owes  a  debt 
of  gratitude — the  physician  Luke,  the  author  of  the 
third  Gospel  and  of  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles.  From 
this  time  on  he  followed  Paul,  until  this  apostle  died  in 
a  Roman  prison.  Luke  has  better  than  any  other  mir- 
rored  the   religious   view   of  his   spiritual   father.     The 


84 

impression  made  on  him  as  he  listened  to  the  apostle's 
version  of  the  parables  concerning  the  Lost  sheep,  the 
Prodigal  Son,  the  Pharisee  and  the  Publican,  etc..  was 
never  wiped  out. 

One  night  during  his  stay  in  Troas  Paul  had  a 
vision,  which  opened  up  to  his  view  a  new  field  of 
labor.  He  saw  a  man  over  on  the  coast  of  Macedonia, 
who  stretched  out  his  hands  to  him  and  said :  "Come 
over  into  Macedonia  and  help  us."  Paul  did  not  doubt 
that  this  was  a  divine  call ;  and  he  now  understood  why 
he  had  not  been  permitted  to  settle  down  to  work  in 
the  district  around  Antioch.  The  Lord  wanted  him  to 
go  over  to  Europe.  And  Paul  at  once  made  himself 
ready  and  went  on  board  one  of  the  many  ships  leaving 
every  day  for  Macedonia. 

Thus  the  apostle  and  his  companions  Silas,  Timothy 
and  Luke,  came  over  to  the  Greek  peninsula.  The 
Church  of  the  Lord  was  now  to  be  founded  among 
highly  cultured  people,  who  for  centuries  had  been 
leaders  in  the  arts  and  sciences,  and  were  the  intellec- 
tual autocrats  of  the  world.  The  tentmaker  from 
Tarsus  was  now  to  answer  the  question  on  which  the 
philosophers  had  pondered  in  vain,  the  great  riddles  of 
life  and  death.  The  four  missionaries  landed  in  Ne- 
apolis,  where  they  stopped  but  one  day,  and  then  went 
on  to  Philippi,  where  Paul  intended  to  begin  his  work. 
The  Romans  had  made  this  a  strongly  fortified  city, 
with  a  large  garrison  of  imperial  troops ;  and  many 
Romans — former  soldiers  and  others — had  made  their 
home  in  this  place. 

The  number  of  Jews  in  PhiHppi  was  so  small  that 
they  had  no  synagogue ;  so  they  were  in  the  habit  of 
coming  together  on  the  Sabbath  at  a  secluded  spot  by 
the  river,  their  usual  bathing  resort.  On  their  first 
Sabbath  here  the  apostles  and  his  companions  went  out 
to  this  place.     They  found  no  large  audience  on  this 


occasion.  Only  a  handful  of  women  were  there  to  offer 
prayer  to  the  one  true  God.  But  the  apostle  did  not 
regard  it  as  beneath  his  dignity  to  preach  to  this  little 
flock;  and  he  soon  found  that  he  had  an  appreciative 
audience.  The  Gospel  seemed  especially  to  come  home 
to  the  heart  of  a  certain  Greek  woman,  Lydia,  a  well- 
to-do  seller  of  purple,  of  the  city  of  Thyatira.  She  had 
ceased  to  worship  the  heathen  idols  and  had  joined  the 
Jewish  Church.  Now  the  good  news  as  related  by  Paul 
deeply  impressed  her;  she  became  a  convert  and  was 
baptized  with  all  her  household.  In  her  joy  over 
having  received  salvation  through  the  Gospel,  she  in- 
vited Paul  and  his  companions  to  make  their  home  in 
her  house  during  their  stay  in  the  city. 

So  they  tarried  for  a  time,  and  preached  the  Word 
in  the  city  and  its  environs ;  and  their  work  prospered 
greatly.  Many  were  added  to  the  Congregation,  and 
everything  seemed  promising.  Then  suddenly  the  work 
was  interrupted. 

There  was  in  the  town  a  poor,  demented  girl,  who 
brought  her  masters  much  gain  by  her  gifts  as  a  for- 
tune-teller. Then  one  day  when  Paul  and  his  com- 
panions were  walking  along  the  street  this  girl  cried 
after  them  saying:  "These  men  are  the  servants  of  the 
most  high  God,  which  show  unto  us  the  way  of  salva- 
tion." This  was  repeated  several  days,  until  Paul  tired 
of  it.  In  connection  with  such  soothsayers  there  was 
much  popular  superstition;  and  Paul  doubtless  pitied 
the  poor  girl.  So  one  day  he  turned  toward  her,  and 
in  the  name  of  Jesus  commanded  the  "spirit  of  divi- 
nation" to  come  out  of  her.  She  was  cured  and  became 
a  handmaiden  of  the  Lord. 

When  her  masters  saw  that  she  could  not  be  made 
to  earn  any  more  money  for  them  by  fortune-telling, 
they  were  furious  ;  and  so  one  day,  as  they  saw  Paul 
and  Silas  walking  by,  they  fell  upon  these  two  men  and 


86 

dragged  them  into  the  marketplace.  This  was  an  open 
square  faced  by  handsome  pubHc  buildings  and  grand 
temples.  Here  was  the  general  resort  of  the  people, 
and  here  sat  the  pubHc  magistrates.  With  noisy  dem- 
onstrations Paul  and  Silas  were  brought  before  these 
magistrates,  and  were  charged  with  making  mischief 
and  trying  to  introduce  an  unlawful  religion.  These 
were  serious  charges;  there  were  severe  penalties  for 
such  crimes.  The  accusers  succeeded  in  inciting  the 
mob  to  rise  up  against  the  two  men  and  to  scream  and 
demand  that  they  be  punished. 

The  magistrates  had  no  time  to  hear  anything  which 
the  two  Jews  might  want  to  say  in  their  own  defense, 
but  ordered  the  servants  of  the  court  to  make  ready 
and  flog  them.  Their  clothes  were  torn  off,  and  they 
were  tied  to  the  whipping-post,  and  scourged  till  the 
blood  spurted  from  their  backs.  While  the  mob  howled 
their  approval  the  stripes  were  laid  on  till  the  two  men 
were  near  death ;  then  they  were  dragged  to  the  prison, 
treated  like  the  most  dangerous  criminals ;  and  the 
jailor,  who  was  held  personally  responsible  for  their 
not  escaping,  thrust  them  into  the  inner  prison,  and 
made  their  feet  fast  in  the  stocks.  Here  they  lay,  then, 
almost  dead,  their  backs  smarting,  and  the  blood  drip- 
ping on  to  the  floor,  which  was  alive  with  vermin  and 
other  crawling  things.  But  the  courage  of  the  two 
men  did  not  fail  them.  Paul  had  experienced  even 
worse  things,  and  he  put  heart  into  Silas  also.  The 
apostle  had  found  that  the  best  cure  for  trouble  was 
to  sing  praises  to  God;  and  so  at  the  time  of  midnight 
the  corridors  of  the  prison  were  filled  with  glad  song. 
Such  had  probably  never  before  been  heard  in  the 
prison  of  Philippi ;  it  was  more  familiar  with  ribald 
jokes  and  curses.  The  strange  sound  fixed  the  atten- 
tion of  the  other  prisoners ;  and  it  must  have  strangely 
affected  them;  for  songs  of  praise  will  touch  even  the 


87 

most  callous ;  coming  from  the  heart  they  reach  the 
heart.  Suddenly,  as  Paul  and  Silas  were  singing,  the 
foundations  of  the  prison  were  shaken  by  an  earthquake, 
the  walls  were  shattered,  so  that  the  bolts  holding  the 
prisoners'  bands  were  loosened,  and  the  prison  doors 
opened.  Furthermore,  the  strange  thing  happened  that 
not  one  of  the  prisoners  made  any  attempt  to  escape; 
for  they  understood  that  they  were  face  to  face  with 
something  supernatural. 

The  keeper  of  the  prison  awakened  out  of  his  sleep, 
and  saw  with  terror  that  all  doors  stood  open.  He  saw  the 
prisoners  walking  about ;  and  he  did  not  doubt  that  many 
of  them  had  escaped.  So  he  drew  his  sword  and  would 
have  killed  himself;  for  he  was  responsible  for  the  safe- 
keeping of  his  prisoners.  But  Paul,  who  saw  his  purpose, 
cried  to  him:  "Do  thyself  no  harm;  for  we  are  all  here." 

The  jailor  was  entirely  overwhelmed  by  this  exper- 
ience. He  had,  of  course,  heard  about  that  demented 
girl,  and  what  she  had  said ;  and  now  he  understood 
that  these  men  were  in  truth  the  servants  of  the  most 
high  God,  and  that  they  taught  the  way  of  salvation. 
Trembling  with  fear  of  God  he  fell  down  before  Paul, 
who  spoke  kindly  to  him.  "Sirs,"  said  the  jailor, 
"what  must  I  do  to  be  saved  ?"  And  they  answered  : 
"Believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  thou  shalt  be 
saved,  and  thy  house."  The  other  members  of  the 
family  and  the  prison  guards  and  servants  were  now 
present;  and  Paul  stood  among  them  with  a  l^ody 
racked  with  pain,  but  with  a  glad  heart,  and  told  them 
of  God's  wonderful  grace  and  mercy.  And  his  hearers 
believed  the  message.  The  Lord  had  spoken  to  them 
through  the  earthquake ;  and  now,  in  the  small  hours 
of  the  night,  they  received  healing  through  the  Gospel 
of  life.  The  result  was,  that  the  keeper  of  the  prison 
with  his  whole  household  were  in  this  selfsame  night 
through  Baptism  made  members  of  the  Church. 


When  they  had  heard  the  good  tidings,  and  their 
souls  had  been  filled  with  the  good  things  of  God's 
Kingdom,  they  remembered  the  wounded  body  and  the 
empty  bowels  of  Paul  and  his  companion;  and  the 
keper  of  the  prison  brought  the  two  men  into  his 
house,  and  set  meat  before  them,  and  "rejoiced,  believ- 
ing in  God  with  all  his  house." 

When  it  was  day  the  magistrates  sent  men  to  the 
prison  with  orders  to  set  the  two  prisoners  at  liberty. 
It  seems  to  have  dawned  on  the  magistrates  that  they 
had  been  too  hasty,  and  they  thought  this  the  easiest 
way  out  of  the  difficulty.  They  reckoned,  however, 
without  their  host  when  they  thought  in  this  way  to 
be  rid  of  the  two  men.  Paul  told  the  messengers  that 
he  and  his  friend  had  been  maltreated  and  thrown  into 
prison  against  all  law  and  justice,  and  refused  to  go 
quietly  away  and  let  the  matter  drop.  Paul  was  a 
Roman  citizen,  and  the  magistrates  had  in  their  treat- 
ment of  him  violated  the  law;  wherefore  he  demanded 
that  the  magistrates  themselves  come  to  the  prison  and 
offer  suitable  excuses  and  make  reparation.  When  the 
magistrates  heard  this  they  feared  and  came  at  once ; 
for  they  knew  that  Paul  might  make  it  very  uncomfort- 
able for  them  by  making  complaint  to  their  superiors. 

Thus  Paul  was  able  with  unsullied  honor  to  return 
to  his  Congregation,  and  the  brethren  received  him 
with  great  joy. 

The  apostle  did  not  think  it  necessary  to  stay  here 
longer  at  this  time.  The  work  in  the  Church  was  being 
carried  on  in  an  orderly  way.  He  cherished  this  Congre- 
gation above  any  of  the  others ;  none  loved  its  apostle 
so  well,  and  none  gave  him  such  immixed  pleasure. 
His  letter,  written  to  these  Philippians  ten  or  twelve 
years  later,  breathes  the  fond  joy  which  filled  his  heart 
at  the  thought  of  them ;  and  none  other  of  the  letters 
of  Paul  shows  forth  this  tender  side  of  his  character  so 


89 

beautifully  as  does  this  letter  from  the  imprisoned 
apostle.  "I  thank  my  God,"  he  writes,  "upon  every 
remembrance  of  you,  always  in  every  prayer  of  mine 
for  you  all  making  request  with  joy."  And  he  calls 
them  ''my  brethren,  dearly  beloved  and  longed  for,  my 
joy  and  crown" ;  and  urges  them  to  ''stand  fast  in  the 
Lord,  my  dearly  beloved."  Many  times  they  also  re- 
membered their  apostle  and  sent  him  gifts ;  and  this 
was  the  only  Congregation  from  which  Paul  would 
consent  to  receive  any  such  help.  Between  him  and 
his  Philippians  there  always  was  the  most  cordial  re- 
lations with  hearty  mutual  regard. 

The  time  was  come  when  the  apostle  must  leave 
these  dear  friends.  He  took  Silas  with  him,  letting 
Luke  and  Timothy  remain  behind  for  a  time  to  give 
further  help ;  while  he  and  Silas  went  westward  through 
Amphipolis  and  Apollonia  to  Thessalonica,  the  Mace- 
donian capital. — This  great  commercial  and  industrial 
city  has  most  charming  environs.  Before  it  is  the  blue 
sea ;  and  behind  it  rises  the  mighty,  snow-capped  Mount 
Olympus.  Around  the  city  were  fertile 'fields  and  vine- 
yards, fine  villas  and  parks ;  and  in  the  city  were  busy 
artisans  and  prosperous  traders  and  rich  bankers,  and 
there  was  the  hum  of  business  in  shop  and  street  and 
trading  booth.  From  the  harbor  was  heard  the  sing- 
ing of  the  sailors,  and  busy  sailboats  were  bringing 
wares  into  the  city  or  out  to  the  ships.  On  the  streets 
one  might  meet  more  or  less  respectable  philosophers 
and  fakirs  and  religious  soldiers  of  fortune  from  the 
East  and  from  Egypt;  all  of  which  gentry  took  things 
lazily  and  put  on  a  wise  air  to  delude  people  into  the 
belief  that  they  could  search  out  all  things  in  Heaven 
and  earth.  There  were  also  in  the  city  many  Jews 
who  by  thrift  had  grown  rich  ;  and  so  they  had  here 
a  large  and  imposing  synagogue. 

To  this  citv  came,  then,  Paul  with  Silas ;  and  as  he 


90 

had  no  friends  here,  and  did  not  wish  to  be  a  burden 
on  any  one,  he  at  once  looked  about  him  to  find  work, 
probably  no  difficult  matter.  But  though  he  labored 
with  his  hands  this  was  not  his  main  business.  He 
was  there  to  preach  the  glad  tidings  of  grace ;  and  so 
it  is  not  to  be  wondered  at  that  he  often  found  it  hard 
to  live,  and  that  he  was  *'in  all  things  instructed  both 
to  be  full  and  to  be  hungry,  both  to  abound  and  to 
suffer  need."  During  his  first  weeks  in  Thessalonica 
he  was  generally  in  need;  and  so  the  help  sent  him 
from  time  to  time  by  his  dear  Church  in  Philippi  must 
have  been  most  welcome. 

On  the  Sabbath  he  went  to  the  synagogue  and 
found  there  a  large  concourse  of  people ;  many  Jews 
and  not  a  few  Greek  proselytes,  and  even  some  mem- 
bers of  the  city's  aristocracy,  particularly  certain  rich 
Greek  women.  As  a  visiting  rabbi  he  was  asked  to 
speak ;  and  he  began  to  explain  the  old  prophecies  con- 
cerning God's  suffering  Servant,  and  pointed  out  how 
all  this  had  been  fulfilled  in  the  death  and  resurrection 
of  Jesus,  and  that  Jesus  therefore  was  the  promised 
Messiah.  "This  Jesus,  whom  I  preach  unto  vou,  is 
Christ." 

This  sermon  by  Paul  made  a  deep  impression  on  the 
hearers,  and  many  became  his  adherents.  Three  suc- 
cessive Sabbath  days  Paul  preached  in  the  synagogue 
and  won  many  converts ;  nor  was  he  idle  during  the 
other  days  of  the  week.  It  looked  quite  promising. 
Some  months  later  the  apostle  wrote  to  them :  ''Ye 
remember,  brethren,  our  labor  and  travail ;  for  laboring 
night  and  day,  because  we  would  not  be  chargeable 
unto  any  of  you,  we  preached  unto  you  the  Gospel  of 
God."  He  reminds  them  also  how  gentle  he  was 
among  them,  "even  as  a  nurse  cherisheth  her  children" ; 
and  how  he  comforted  and  admonished  them  "every 
one   of  you,   as  a   father   doth   his   children."      So   dili- 


91 

gently  did  he  guard  and  nurture  them.  He  loved  them 
so  well  that  for  them  he  would  willingly  have  given 
even  his  life. 

In  this  way  Paul  labored  for  a  month  or  so ;  then 
his  work  was  again  suddenly  interrupted.  As  so  often 
before,  it  was  the  Jews  who  were  filled  with  hatred  and 
took  to  persecuting  him  in  every  way  possible.  When 
the  rulers  of  the  synagogue  saw  that  this  stranger  was 
robbing  them  of  many  of  their  adherents,  they  became 
bitterly  envious.  They  felt  that  they  would  never  fully 
recover  from  the  blow  given  them  through  the  preach- 
ing of  Paul.  But  it  was  not  an  easy  matter  to  harm 
him ;  for  at  this  time  there  was  a  strong  anti- Jewish 
feeling  in  these  parts  of  the  Roman  Empire.  Jews 
were  regarded  with  suspicion,  and  several  times  there 
had  been  published  imperial  edicts  against  them.  So 
it  was  necessay  for  them  to  be  very  careful  as  to  what 
they    did. 

However,  the  spirit  of  hatred  is  inventive.  There 
were  in  the  city  a  number  of  "lewd  fellows  of  the  baser 
sort,"  who  had  nothing  to  do,  and  were  ready  for  any- 
thing. The  rulers  of  the  synagogue  persuaded  this 
mob  that  Paul  was  a  dangerous  traitor  seeking  to  stir 
up  the  people  against  the  emperor,  in  order  to  pro- 
claim one  Jesus  as  their  king.  If  the  Jews  could  make 
Paul  out  to  be  a  scheming  political  agitator  it  would 
then  be  easy  for  them  to  put  him  down.  They  were 
able  to  bring  about,  a  riot,  and  incited  the  wild  mob 
to  assault  the  house  of  Jason,  with  whom  Paul  had 
his  home,  with  the  purpose  of  dragging  him  out  and 
bringing  him  to  trial.  But  on  reaching  the  house  they 
found  that  Paul  was  not  there.  He  must  have  been 
warned  and  have  taken  refuge  in  some  other  place. 
Not  finding  Paul,  the  mob  took  Jason  and  some  others 
and  carried  them  before  the  rulers  of  the  city.  But 
these    seem    to    have    known    Jason    and    the    others 


92 

as  reputable  citizens,  and  were  not  to  be  moved  by  the 
noisy  mob.  So  the  matter  came  to  nothing;  Jason  and 
the  others  were  set  free. 

Paul  and  the  others  Christians  made  no  mistake  as 
to  what  was  doing ;  and  they  knew  that  the  Jews  would 
not  rest  content  with  this  first  attempt  against  them. 
So  it  seemed  best  to  let  the  apostle  go  away  until  quiet 
and  good  order  were  restored.  Naturally,  it  went 
against  the  grain  with  the  apostle  now  to  leave  the 
new  Congregation,  which  for  some  time  would  need 
his  wise  guidance ;  but  there  seemed  no  other  way  out 
of  the  difficulty. 

Paul  and  Silas  then  went  to  the  Httle  city  of  Berea. 
From  this  place  it  was  Paul's  intention  to  go  back  to 
Thessalonica.  Several  times  he  was  on  the  point  of 
going;  but  Satan,  the  enemy  of  God's  Kingdom,  pre- 
vented it  (1  Thess.  2:18).  While  in  Berea,  Paul  la- 
bored as  a  missionary ;  and  the  Jews  treated  him  much 
better  here  than  in  Thessalonica.  Many  Jews  and 
Greeks,  even  some  people  of  wealth  and  position,  ac- 
cepted the  faith.  But  the  distance  between  Berea  and 
Thessalonica  was  not  great;  and  the  Jews  in  this  city 
soon  discovered  where  Paul  had  taken  refuge.  They 
followed  him,  and  were  able  again  to  stir  up  the  people 
against  him ;  so  that  conditions  in  Berea  also  soon  be- 
came intolerable. 

In  spite  of  it  all,  Paul  had  succeeded  in  founding 
three  Churches  in  Macedonia;  and  of  these  there  were 
born  other  Churches  in  the  surrounding  districts.  Paul 
did  not  want  to  leave  these  young  Congregations  with- 
out leadership ;  so  he  left  his  three  companions  here  to 
continue  the  work,  and  went  alone  to  Athens. 

He  probably  went  to  Athens  by  water ;  and  thus  he 
came  to  the  great  cultural  center  of  the  ancient  world. 

Greece  is  the  Norway  of  southern  Europe,  with  deep 
fjords,  snow-capped  mountains,   rushing  torrents,  dark 


93 

forests,  smiling  valleys  and  the  blue  sea.  Over  it  are 
the  bright  southern  skies,  and  the  country  is  not  one  of 
lowering  darkness  like  the  "land  of  eternal  snow." 
Here  in  Greece  dwelt  the  most  wide-awake  and  talented 
of  the  ancient  peoples ;  here  was  the  home  of  the  most 
profound  thinkers  and  foremost  artists ;  and  all  these 
flourished  most  luxuriantly  in  Athens.  At  the  time  of 
Paul,  however,  there  was  but  little  left  of  the  former 
physical  and  intellectual  strength  of  the  Greeks.  They 
were  now  an  effeminate,  idle  and  cowardly  generation, 
who  laid  claim  to  admiration  because  their  fathers  had 
been  great.  Athens  itself  was  now  important  only  as 
an  educational  center,  the  city  living  off  the  many 
students  and  tourists.  But  it  still  was  of  imposing  ap- 
pearance, with  many  grand  buildings  bearing  witness  to 
its  former  greatness. 

The  apostle  made  use  of  his  time  in  Athens  to  look 
about  him  (Acts  17 :  23) ;  and  the  sight  of  all  this  lux- 
ury must  have  been  confusing.  The  many  grand 
temples  must  have  especially  impressed  him;  and  there 
were  numerous  theaters,  baths,  statues  and  the  like, 
everything  being  rich  and  in  good  taste.  On  every 
hand  were  fine  w^orks  of  art.  The  most  beautiful 
place  of  all  was  the  Acropolis,  a  hill  which  could  be 
seen  from  all  parts  of  the  city.  Through  a  fine  peri- 
style one  entered  the  open  square  of  the  Acropolis  it- 
self with  many  statues  of  gods  hewn  in  marble,  and 
among  them  the  great  statue,  50  feet  high,  of  Pallas 
Athene,  the  patron  goddess  of  the  city.  On  the  very 
top  of  the  hill  stood  the  most  wonderful  of  the  ancient 
temples,  the  famous  Parthenon,  with  its  98  marble 
columns,  and  profusely  ornamented  with  the  greatest 
works  of  the  world's  greatest  sculptors.  The  deepest 
impression  was  made  on  Paul  by  the  many  altars,  and 
most  particularly  by  the  altar  with  the  inscription : 
"To  the  unknown   God."     In  all  these  things  he   saw 


94 

liumanity's  yearning  toward  God,  whom  the  Greeks 
thought  to  find  in  the  worship  of  the  beautiful.  But 
herein  he  saw  also  the  proof  that  the  Greeks  in  spite 
of  all  their  wisdom  lived  in  the  ''times  of  ignorance." 
For  they  themselves  admitted  that  in  the  highest  ques- 
tion of  all,  that  concerning  God,  they  were  groping  in 
the  dark. 

There  was  much  also  which  must  have  stirred  the 
ire  of  the  apostle.  He  could  see  well  enough  that  all 
this  show  of  elegance  covered  much  inner  corruption. 
Heathenism  was  heathenism,  no  matter  how  beautifully 
clothed,  and  in  the  eyes  of  the  Jew  all  images  of  idols 
were  an  abomination.  And  then,  the  frivolous  and 
often  licentious  life  of  the  Greeks  filled  him  with  dis- 
gust, and  he  despised  the  intellectual  and  spiritual 
child's  play  of  the  vain  philosophers  with  all  their  pre- 
tended wisdom. 

In  Athens  also  were  some  Jews ;  and  Paul,  as  a 
matter  of  course,  visited  their  synagogue.  He  in- 
tended to  wait  there  for  Silas  and  Timothy,  who  were 
soon  to  join  him.  But  they  did  not  come  as  soon  as 
expected;  and  of  course  Paul  could  not  remain  idle. 
So  he  went  to  the  common  meeting-place  in  the  market. 
In  the  corridors  on  either  side  it  was  the  habit  of  phil- 
osophers and  rhetoricians  to  hold  forth  to  their  pupils, 
and  to  this  place  all  people  came  to  hear  the  news  of 
the  day.  So  here  was  a  great  chance  to  meet  people 
and  talk  with  them ;  and  to  this  place  the  apostle  found 
his   way. 

Something  of  a  sensation  was  created  by  this  Jewish 
rabbi  who  had  the  courage  to  address  this  learned 
■concourse,  and  he  became  the  center  of  a  number  of 
inquisitive  persons.  For  the  Athenians  were  fond  of 
hearing  and  telling  new  things.  The  attention  of  cer- 
tain teachers — Epicureans  and  Stoics — was  attracted  to 
Paul,  and  they  tried  to   engage   him  in   a  debate ;   for 


95 

these  old  and  experienced  masters  in  the  arts  of  so- 
phistry imagined  that  it  would  be  an  easy  matter  to 
drive  this  Jew  to  the  wall.  Others  assumed  an  air  of 
superiority  and  said  that  they  really  could  not  trouble 
themselves  about  this  babbler.  Others,  again,  found 
the  discussion  quite  interesting,  especially  when  they 
understood  it  to  be  concerned  with  some  new  sort  of 
religion.  They  no  longer  believed  in  the  old  gods ; 
and  though  they  cared  but  little  for  religion  in  general, 
it  might  be  of  some  interest  to  hear  news  of  what  was 
doing  along  that  line  also. 

So  they  asked  Paul  to  go  with  them  to  the  Areo- 
pagus and  there  give  a  lecture ;  and  this  the  apostle 
was  willing  to  do.  From  his  high  and  open  place  there 
was  a  fine  view  over  the  city,  the  Acropolis  and  the 
harbor.  Thus  it  was  a  grand  panorama  which  the 
apostle  had  before  him  when  he  demanded  silence  and 
then  made  his  famous  speech,  the  gist  of  which  is  re- 
corded in  the  17th  chapter  of  Acts.  We  see  how  the 
view  before  his  eyes  influenced  his  speech,  until  he 
worked  his  way  around  to  that  which  to  him  was  the 
essential  thing:  The  many  fine  temples  and  altars  scat- 
tered throughout  the  city  showed  that  the  Greeks 
wished  to  worship  some  divinity ;  but  they  also  were  an 
admission  that  the  Greeks  did  not  know  the  one  true 
God.  And  it  was  this  one  and  only  true  God  whom 
Paul  declared  to  them.  Then  he  pointed  out  to  them 
the  want  of  good  sense  in  their  idolatrous  worship :  for 
God  that  made  Heaven  and  earth  surely  can  not  dwell 
in  a  temple  made  with  hands,  no  matter  how  beautiful 
it  may  be.  Neither  could  the  true  God  be  like  the  gods 
of  the  heathen;  for  these  thought  that  each  people 
must  have  its  own  private  gods.  No,  the  true  God 
has  created  all  men  equal,  and  appointed  all  things  for 
them,  to  the  end  that  they  might  seek  Him;  and  He  is 
equally  near  to  us  all,   for  in   Him   we  live  and  move 


96 

and  have  our  being.  One  of  the  Greek  poets  seemed 
to  have  felt  this  when  he  wrote  the  notable  words : 
■"For  we  are  also  His  ofifspring."  But  if  it  be  the 
living  human  beings  who  are  God's  offspring,  created 
in  his  image,  it  must  be  meaningless  to  shape  a  statue 
of  Him  and  imagine  that  this  is  His  true  image.  Such 
devices  are  merely  signs  of  man's  foolishness  and  ig- 
norance; which  God  in  His  patience  has  winked  at, 
but  now  He  commands  all  men  to  repent.  For  they 
must  know  that  death  does  not  end  all;  there  will  be  a 
day  of  reckoning,  when  all  shall  be  judged,  the  quick 
and  the  dead.  And  this  judgment  shall  be  executed  by 
that  Man,  whom  God  sent  to  the  world ;  who  lived  and 
died,  but  was  raised  again  from  death  and  the  grave. 
Thus  shall  life  gain  the  victory  over  death. 

In  substance,  the  above  was  Paul's  sermon,  but  it 
was  not  well  received.  Some  laughed,  others  mocked; 
and  some  seemed  to  be  amused  by  this  new  idea  of 
a  resurrection  from  the  dead,  and  they  asked  Paul  to 
give  them  another  speech  on  this  subject. 

It  may  have  been  this  experience  more  than  any 
other  which  caused  the  apostle  to  write :  "Hath  not 
God  made  foolish  the  wisdom  of  this  world?  .  .  .  Not 
many  wise  men  after  the  flesh,  not  many  mighty,  not 
many  noble,  are  called;  but  God  hath  chosen  the 
foolish  things  of  the  world  to  confound  the  wise." — 
Yet  the  stay  of  Paul  in  Athens  bore  some  fruit.  There 
was  founded  a  small  Congregation ;  and  as  one  of  its 
members  there  is  made  mention  of  a  certain  high  judge 
named  Dionysius  and  a  woman  named  Damaris. 

Before  leaving  Athens,  Paul  was  visited  by  Tim- 
othy, who  brought  news  from  the  Churches  in  Mace- 
donia. But  Paul  thought  it  best  to  send  Timothy 
back  to  Thessalonica,  w^hile  he  himself  went  alone  to 
Corinth. 

In  all  probability  he  went  by  water  and  found  it  a 


97 

delightful  voyage.  The  bay  which  cuts  into  the  east 
coast  was  studded  with  many  beautiful  islands  fringed 
with  fine  forests ;  and  many  ships,  large  and  small, 
w^ere  plying  to  and  fro  among  the  islands,  either  under 
sail  or  propelled  by  oars,  the  whole  presenting  a  most 
pleasant  scene.  Coming  from  the  east  one  would  land 
at  the  port  of  Cencrea.  From  this  place  to  Corinth 
was  a  walk  of  an  hour  and  a  half,  and  the  scene  was 
as  lively  as  that  on  the  water.  The  road  fairly  swarmed 
with  people  in  vehicles  or  on  foot,  and  great  quantities 
of  wares  were  on  this  road  carried  to  and  from  the 
city.  There  were  fine  villas  with  well-kept  gardens, 
and  fruit-trees  and  vineyards  covered  the  sunny  slopes. 
By  this  road  was  the  famous  athletic  field,  where  the 
young  men  of  Greece  held  their  contests  and  exhibited 
their  feats  of  strength  and  skill;  and  to  be  victor  in 
these  contests  was  the  greatest  of  honors.  It  is  prob- 
able that  the  apostle  during  his  long  stay  in  Corinth  saw 
some  of  these  athletic  meets ;  at  an}^  rate  he  uses  in 
his  letters  many  illustrations  showing  that  he  was 
familiar  with  these  sports. 

Corinth  was  built  on  a  narrow  neck  of  land;  and  it 
was  only  a  matter  of  half  an  hour  to  go  from  the 
city  down  to  the  harbor  at  the  nearest  point  on  the 
deep  arm  of  the  sea  reaching  into  the  land  from  the 
west.  This  was  the  main  highway  of  trade  and  travel 
from  and  to  Italy  and  the  western  parts  of  the  Roman 
Empire,  for  since  the  voyage  along  the  south  coa'^t 
of  Greece  was  very  treacherous,  nearly  all  traffic  be- 
tween the  East  and  the  West  was  carried  on  by  way 
of  Corinth.  This  made  the  city  one  of  the  leading  in- 
dustrial and  trade  centers  in  the  Roman  Empire.  By 
reason  of  its  situation  the  city  also  became  an  impor- 
tant political  center.  Thus  Corinth  was  a  world  metro- 
polis having,  it  is  estimated,  about  750,000  people;  of 
whom,  however,  500.000  were  slaves. 


98 

The  city  had  great  wealth;  and  with  this  followed 
its  usual  companion,  abject  poverty  and  misery.  The 
city  was  infamous  throughout  the  world  for  its  im- 
morality. The  life  of  Corinth  was  marked  by  all  the 
licentiousness  and  unspeakable  nastiness  of  rich  and 
over-refined  heathenism;  even  in  the  temple  of  \'^enus 
the  most  shameless  orgies  were  indulged  in  under  the 
mask  of  religious  worship.  Vice  and  lust  ran  rampant. 
This  lowest  depth  of  degradation  is  painted  in  darkest 
colors  by  Paul  in  the  1st  chapter  of  his  letter  to  the 
Romans.  We  see  here  the  fruits  of  heathenism,  despite 
all  its  arts  and  culture;  these  have  no  power  to  save 
a  man  from  moral  ruin.  The  apostle  had,  therefore,  no 
admiration  to  waste  on  the  pufTed-up  scholars  and 
sages  whom  he  met  in  Greece ; — to  him  it  was  all  fool- 
ishness. 

The  sight  of  life  in  Corinth  must  have  been  terribly 
depressing  to  one  whose  heart  was  filled  with  the  love 
of  Christ.  But  the  apostle  knew  also  that  the  Word 
of  the  cross  was  mighty  to  lift  even  the  godless  Corinth 
up  out  of  the  pit ;  and  he  saw  that  here  if  anywhere  it 
was  necessary  to  let  the  light  shine  through  the 
darkness. 

Paul  determined  to  make  a  quite  long  stay  in 
Corinth ;  so  he  at  once  looked  about  him  for  work, 
which  he  easily  found.  He  was  employed  by  a  Jew 
named  Aquila.  This  man  was  born  in  Pontus,  but  had 
become  a  resident  of  Rome;  from  which  city  he  had 
been  expelled,  as  Claudius,  the  emperor,  after  some 
riots  had  ordered  all  Jews  to  leave  the  city.  Aquila 
then  with  his  wife  Priscilla  removed  to  Corinth,  where 
he  worked  at  his  trade  as  tentmaker.  He  and  Paul 
soon  became  close  friends.  Aquila  and  Priscilla  offered 
Paul  a  home  with  them;  and  the  three  of  them  con- 
tracted a  most  profitable  friendship,  which  lasted 
through  life. 


On  the  Sabbath  they  went  together  to  the  syna- 
gogue; and  there  they  found  also  a  number  of  Greeks 
who  in  terror  had  shaken  off  their  former  Hcentious 
habits,  and  had  joined  the  Jews,  with  their  strict  ideas 
of  morality.  As  usual,  Paul  was  invited  to  speak;  and, 
of  course,  he  was  glad  to  do  it.  The  first  times  he 
seems  to  have  spoken  of  the  prophetic  promises  and 
visions,  without  direct  reference  to  Jesus  as  the  One 
in  whom  the  promises  were  fulfilled.  He  thus  sought 
to  prepare  the  ground.  Some  weeks  later,  when  Silas 
and  Timothy  had  come  to  him  with  cheering  news 
from  Macedonia,  Paul  began  to  testify  that  Jesus  was 
the  Messiah. 

The  usual  results  followed :  Many  became  Paul's 
bitter  enemies,  and  the  Congregation  of  the  synagogue 
was  disrupted.  He  was  not  even  allowed  to  finish  his 
sermon ;  for  the  leaders  drowned  his  voice  with  mock- 
ing and  blasphemy. 

Thus  the  apostle  saw  that  the  Jews  were  at  all  places 
the  same ;  and  he  determined  to  break  with  the  syna- 
gogue for  all  time.  So  according  to  the  eastern  cus- 
tom he  shook  his  raiment  and  said :  "Your  blood  be 
upon  your  own  heads ;  I  am  clean ;  from  henceforth  I 
will  go  unto  the  Gentiles." 

But  though  the  synagogue  was  closed  to  them  the 
Christians  found  another  place  of  meeting.  The  Jews 
saw  with  bitter  resentment  that  a  certain  resident  Ro- 
man named  Justus,  a  former  proselyte,  whose  home 
was  close  to  the  synagogue,  opened  his  house  to  the 
Christians ;  and  it  exasperated  them  also  to  see  that 
great  numbers  came  to  hear  Paul  in  the  house  of 
Justus,  while  the  Jewish  synagogue  was  all  but  empty. 
Now,  the  two  houses  were  so  near  each  other  that  the 
Jews  in  the  synagogue  could  hear  the  Christians  sing- 
ing their  songs  of  praise  and  rejoicing  over  the  glad 
tidings.     At  this   even   Crispus,  the   chief  ruler  of  the 


100 

synagogue,  turned  his  back  on  the  Jews  and  joined  the 
Christian  Congregation. 

The  Church  was  all  the  time  receiving  new  members 
through  Baptism ;  among  them  even  some  high  gov- 
ernment officials,  often  whole  families.  But  a  majority 
of  the  converts  were  common,  plain  people,  some  of 
them  slaves. 

Paul  understood  well  enough  that  the  Jews  were 
brooding  on  some  evil  purpose;  but  for  the  time  being 
they  dared  not  do  anything  to  excite  race  hatred. 
They  had  not  forgotten  their  recent  expulsion  from 
Rome.  So  Paul  was  able  to  work  for  a  long  time  in 
peace. 

At  this  time  he  sent  his  two  letters  to  the  Church 
in  Thessalonica,  the  one  following  closely  on  the  other. 
The  reports  brought  from  this  place  by  Timothy  were 
most  encouraging;  the  Thessalonians  held  fast  the  Gos- 
pel and  remained  faithful  to  the  apostle,  and  the  spirit- 
ual gifts  flourished  among  them.  But  of  course  there 
were  many  dangers,  and  the  young  Church  needed 
admonition.  The  Jews  tried  in  every  way  to  undermine 
it.  The  Church  was  made  up  of  new  converts ;  and 
most  of  them  had  but  recently  left  their  heathenism 
with  its  many  vices,  and  thus  they  were  subject  to 
many  temptations.  Only  a  few  Jews  had  been  won  for 
the  Gospel.  Nor  had  these  Christians  as  yet  received 
the  thorough  instruction  which  they  needed ;  and  so 
many  of  them  naturally  became  fanatics.  Some  of  them 
expected  the  coming  of  the  Lord,  and  would  not  work, 
and  some  were  troubled  in  their  minds  because  certain 
members  of  the  Church  had  died ;  they  had  thought 
that  all  were  to  live  till  the  Lord  came  again.  Thus 
they  needed  guidance;  and  this  Paul  gave  them  in 
the  two  letters,  which  must  to  them  have  been  a  great 
blessing. 

Paul  worked  in   Corinth   18  months  without   inter- 


101 

ruption ;  but  then  he  could  see  that  there  were  danger- 
ous and  anxious  times  ahead  of  him.  Thus  he  wrote 
to  the  Thessalonians  (2  Thess.  3  :  1-2) :  "Finally,  breth- 
ren, pray  for  us,  that  the  word  of  the  Lord  may  have 
free  course,  and  be  glorified,  even  as  it  is  with  you; 
and  that  we  may  be  delivered  from  unreasonable  and 
wicked  men."  The  Lord  remembered  his  servant  and 
strengthened  him  by  a  vision  at  night,  saying:  "Be  not 
afraid,  but  speak,  and  hold  not  thy  peace ;  for  I  am  with 
thee,  and  no  man  shall  set  on  thee  to  hurt  thee;  for  I 
have  much  people  in  this  city."  This  thought  must 
have  been  a  great  comfort  to  the  apostle :  "The  Lord 
is  with  me." 

Then  the  storm  broke.  The  Jews  seized  Paul  and 
brought  him  before  the  deputy  of  Achaia,  one  GalHo, 
a  brother  of  the  famous  philosopher  Seneca.  GaUio 
was  a  highly  cultured  and  Hberal  man,  and  much 
esteemed  in  the  province.  When  the  Jews  came  to  him 
and  began  to  make  complaint  against  Paul  on  the 
ground  that  he  persuaded  people  to  worship  God  con- 
trary to  the  law,  Gallio  merely  laughed  at  them.  He 
cared  nothing  about  the  private  quarrels  of  the  fanatical 
Jews.  So  he  dismissed  the  case  at  once,  refusing  to 
hear  either  the  complaint  or  the  defense.  And  when 
the  Jews  were  somewhat  slow  in  leaving  the  court,  he 
ordered  his  people  to  drive  the  mob  away.  Sosthenes, 
the  chief  ruler  of  the  synagogue,  had  been  the  spokes- 
man of  the  complainants.  When  he  began  to  protest 
against  such  treatment,  the  servants  of  Gallio  gave  him 
a  merciless  flogging,  to  the  great  delight  of  the  Greeks 
present,  who  were  grateful  to  Gallio  for  giving  them 
this  free  entertainment.  Thus  the  apostle  was  set  free, 
and  the  Jews  did  not  dare  molest  him.  So  he  was  able 
t^  continue  his  work  without  interruption  for  another 
six  months  or  more. 

Paul  had  done  a  great  work  during  these  two  years. 


102 

With  his  own  hands  he  had  earned  his  living,  so  he  did 
not  become  a  burden  to  anybody;  and  when  the  days 
proved  too  short  for  doing  the  work  of  both  a  mission- 
ary and  a  tentmaker,  he  worked  at  night  also.  But 
his  great  exploit  here  is  that  he  founded  and  guided  a 
Congregation  under  such  crushing  difficulties.  It  took 
much  tact  and  patience  and  wisdom  to  weld  together 
these  many  unlike  elements :  Jews  and  Greeks,  slaves 
and  freemen,  rich  and  poor,  men  and  women.  And 
they  lived  under  difficult  conditions.  All  were  new 
converts ;  and  most  of  them  had  lived  as  pagans,  and 
were  thus  in  greater  or  lesser  degree  poisoned  by  the 
pagan  Adces.  They  had,  also,  many  friends  who  still 
were  pagans ;  and  they  could  not  avoid  associating 
with  these,  and  were  thus  led  into  many  temptations 
and  difficulties.  So  the  apostle  had  a  busy  time,  teach- 
ing them  to  believe  in  Christ  and  to  lead  a  Christian 
life. 

It  would  seem  from  1  Cor.  16:2,  and  Acts  20 :  7, 
that  Paul  here  in  Corinth  began  to  use  Sunday  as  the 
day  of  public  worship  for  the  Christian  Churches ;  and 
adopted  a  certain  form  of  service  that  the  Church  wor- 
ship might  be  conducted  in  good  order. 

After  the  lapse  of  about  two  years,  then,  Paul  made 
ready  to  leave  Corinth.  There  were  other  places,  also, 
which  needed  the  Gospel ;  and  he  had  in  mind  especially 
the  world  capital,  Rome.  In  those  days  terrible  stories 
were  told  of  the  life  led  at  the  court  of  the  emperor. 
The  empress  Messalina  was  so  shamelessly  profligate 
that  it  caused  disgust  even  among  the  heathen.  Em- 
peror Claudius  was  a  contemptible  weakling  ruled  by 
the  whims  of  the  loose  women  with  whom  he  sur- 
rounded himself.  At  last  he  was  assassinated,  and  the 
unspeakable  Nero  came  to  the  throne.  The  Christians 
foresaw  troublous  times;  it  seemed  to  them  as  if  the 
end  of  time  were  near.     It  was  therefore  the  more  ne- 


103 

cessary  to  bring  the  Gospel  at  once  to  the  peoples  of  the 
world. 

But  first  Paul  must  make  a  visit  to  his  old  home. 
There  was  a  district  which  had  been  neglected,  namely, 
the  west  coast  of  Asia  Minor;  and  he  wanted  to  preach 
the  Gospel  here  also,  before  he  could  think  of  going  to 
Italy. 

This  time  Paul  had  with  him  a  pretty  large  company. 
Aquila  and  Priscilla  went  with  him,  as  well  as  Silas 
and  Timothy.  A  few  weeks  before  Easter  they  went 
down  to  Cencrea,  from  which  place  they  were  to  sail. 
It  was  the  finest  season  of  the  year,  with  everything 
clad  in  the  gay  colors  of  spring.  A  numerous  company 
went  with  the  apostle  the  short  road  down  to  the  harbor, 
there  to  bid  him  farewell ;  and  they  were  filled  with 
sadness  when  they  saw  him  depart. 

Paul  and  his  companions  sailed,  then,  to  Ephesus. 
He  did  not  plan  to  begin  any  missionary  work  in  the 
city  at  this  time;  he  merely  wanted  to  acquaint  himself 
with  the  situation.  He  spent  a  Sabbath  in  the  city, 
however,  and  used  the  opportunity  to  preach  in  the 
synagogue.  His  preaching  was  well  received;  and  the 
people  asked  him  to  stay  for  a  time  with  them.  But  this 
he  could  not  do,  as  he  wanted  to  celebrate  Easter  in 
Jerusalem.  So  he  at  once  took  ship  again  and  went  to 
Caesarea,  and  then  on  to  Antioch,  from  which  place 
he  now  had  been  absent  four  years.  This  was  the  end 
of  his  second  great  missionary  expedition,  embracing 
the  time  between  the  years  51  and  55. 


104 

VIIL    Going  Over  the  Top. 

"7  should  be  the  minister  of  Jesus  Christ  to  the  Gentiles, 
ministering  the  Gospel  of  God,  that  the  offering  up  of  the 
Gentiles  might  be  acceptable,  being  sanctified  by  the  Holy 
Ghost.  I  have  therefore  whereof  I  may  glory  through 
Jesus  Christ  in  those  things  which  pertain  to  God.  .  .  .  So 
that  from  Jerusalem  and  round  about  unto  Illyricum  I  have 
fully  preached  the  Gospel  of  Christ.  Yea,  so  have  I  strived 
to  preach  the  Gospel,  not  where  Christ  was  named,  lest  I 
should  build  upon  another  man's  foundation"  (Romans 
15:16-20). 

The  apostle  did  not  allow  himself  a  long  rest  at 
home.  He  wished  merely  to  see  how  things  had  de- 
veloped during  his  absence.  And  when  he  saw  that  all 
was  well  he  could  stay  no  longer;  for  now  the  mission 
work  was  to  begin  in  Ephesus  and  along  the  west  coast 
of  Asia  Minor.  Then  from  Ephesus  it  would  be  easier 
for  him  than  from  any  other  place  to  keep  an  eye  on 
the  new  mission  fields  in  Macedonia  and  Greece;  for 
Ephesus  was  almost  the  exact  center  of  his  whole  field 
of  operations. 

This  time  also  he  went  by  way  of  the  Churches  in 
Galatia  and  Phrygia,  in  order  to  confirm  them  in  the 
truth.  For  he  knew  that  the  Judaists  had  begun  again 
to  bestir  themselves ;  and  there  was  no  telling  what  they 
might  take  into  their  heads  to  do.  Having  visited  these 
Churches,  he  went  on  and  came  to  the  west  coast  of 
Asia  Minor. 

In  these  districts  were  a  number  of  Greeks  who  had 
been  there  for  generations,  and  who  in  every  line  of 
endeavor  were  competitors  of  their  former  compatriots. 
The  most  important  city  on  the  coast  was  Ephesus,  the 
capital  of  the  province,  and  a  mighty  center  of  trade 
and  industry.  Life  in  this  city  was  much  like  that  in 
the    other    great    marts    of    trade    at    that    time.      But 


105 

Ephesus  was  also  a  center  of  learning,  and  in  this  re- 
spect held  the  leading  position  in  all  Asia  Minor. 
Science,  art  and  practical  business  enterprise  here  went 
hand  in  hand. 

To  begin  mission  work  in  this  city  was  a  pretty 
bold  undertaking.  For  Ephesus  was  also  one  of  the 
centers  of  heathenism.  Here  flourished  the  worship  of 
Diana,  in  a  wonderful  temple  so  vast  and  beautiful  that 
it  was  famous  throughout  the  world  as  one  of  the  Seven 
great  Wonders.  The  temple  owned  enormous  wealth, 
as  great  numbers  of  people  came  to  it  from  far  and 
near;  and  the  corrupt  priests  piled  up  money  and  en- 
couraged people  in  the  most,  abandoned  indecency. 

Together  with  this  idolatry  and  profligacy  flourished 
all  manner  of  superstition:  Sorcerers  and  soothsayers 
sold  charms  and  amulets  and  lived  on  the  fat  of  the 
land,  while  astrologists  read  fortunes  in  the  stars. 

The  handicrafts  also  flourished,  especially  the  art  of 
the  goldsmith.  Miniature  copies  of  the  temple  in  gold 
and  silver  were  sold  in  great  numbers  to  the  countless 
visitors  who  were  in  the  city  to  see  this  temple. 

Of  course,  there  were  all  sorts  of  amusements.  There 
were  great  theaters,  with  play-acting,  dances,  athletic 
contests,  and  fights  between  beasts  and  gladiators.  Here 
oriental  luxury,  the  pride  of  life,  the  lusts  of  the  flesh, 
gluttony,  art,  science,  trade  and  industry  dwelt  together 
and  thrived;  and  people  drank  the  cup  of  pleasure  to 
the  dregs. 

It  was  a  bold  step  which  the  apostle  took  when  he 
began  the  fight  against  ungodliness  in  a  place  such  as 
this,  and  many  would  have  thought  it  absolutely  hope- 
less. But  he  had  faith  in  the  Lord,  and  decided  to  take 
up  the  work  right  here,  and  was  prepared  to  stay  here 
longer  than  in  any  other  place.  And  this  was  a  direct 
declaration  of  war  on  heathenism,  pphesus  was  one  of 
its    strongholds   which   he   was   determined   to   capture. 


106 

Naturally,  then,  the  heathen  here  became  his  most  bitter 
enemies. 

It  seems  to  have  been  the  autumn  of  the  year  55 
when  Paul  came  back  to  Ephesus  after  visiting  the  in- 
land districts  of  Asia  Minor ;  and  so  it  was  something- 
like  half  a  year  since  he  had  stopped  there  a  day  or 
two  on  his  way  from  Corinth  to  Antioch  and  Jerusalem. 
Aquila  and  Priscilla,  who  had  remained  in  Ephesus,  had 
not  made  the  mission  work  their  business.  Still  they 
had  won  an  Alexandrian  Jew  named  Apollos  for  the 
cause  of  Christ  He  was  an  adherent  of  the  disciples 
of  John  the  Baptist,  had  in  Alexandria  received  a  thor- 
ough education,  and  was  noted  as  a  most  eloquent 
orator.  Apollos  had  come  to  Ephesus  while  Paul  was  in 
Palestine  and  Syria,  and  he  had  taught  in  the  syna- 
gogue. All  seemed  to  think  well  of  the  young  orator; 
and  Aquila  became  interested  in  him,  and  instructed  him 
in  the  Gospel.  The  result  was  that  Apollos  became  a 
Christian.  When  soon  after  he  went  to  Corinth  he  had 
with  him  letters  of  recommendation,  and  was  therefore 
well  received  by  the  Church  in  that  city. 

When  Paul  now  came  to  Ephesus  he,  of  course, 
made  his  home  with  Aquila  and  Priscilla,  and  began 
at  once  to  preach  in  the  synagogue.  Nor  was  it  long 
before  his  preaching  bore  fruit.  The  first  converts  were 
about  a  dozen  of  the  former  disciples  of  John.  For 
three  months  Paul  was  allowed  to  preach  in  peace;  then 
the  cordial  relation  with  the  Jews  was  broken  off.  Here 
also  the  unbelieving  Jews  were  angered  because  so  many 
people  came  to  hear  Paul ;  and  they  began  secretly  to 
speak  ill  of  his  teaching.  Thereupon  Paul  with  his 
disciples  left  the  synagogue ;  and  the  new  Christian  Con- 
gregation hired  a  large  school-room  in  the  house  of 
one  Tyranus.  There  Paul  preached  for  more  than  two 
years. 

His  preaching  created  a  great  sensation,  so  that  more 


107 


and  more  people  came  to  hear  him.  Many  even  of 
those  who  were  strangers  in  the  city  visited  the  school- 
room in  order  to  hear  the  apostle,  and  through  them 
his  fame  spread  over  all  the  western  part  of  Asia  Minor. 

The  movement  all  the  time  gained  headway,  and  a 
number  of  Congregations  were  founded  in  the  sur- 
rounding districts.  Paul  needed  severel  new  assistants. 
We  know  that  Timothy  was  with  him,  and  likewise 
Erastus  of  Corinth,  and  Gaius  and  Aristarchus  of  Mace- 
donia, and  no  doubt  others  also.  And  with  these  he 
took  counsel  in  matters  of  special  importance.   - 

Truly  these  were  great  results  of  the  work  of  one 
man.  His  activity  had  embraced  all  the  country  from 
Antioch  in  Syria  westward  through  Asia  Minor,  and 
through  Macedonia  and  Greece;  and  Churches  had 
grown  up  everywhere  in  his  footsteps.  The  Word  of 
God  prospered  mightily,  spring  had  come  to  these  arid 
regions,  and  now  the  vineyard  of  the  Lord  was  seen  in 
bloom  on  every  hand.  High  honors  had  been  won  by 
the  great  Captain  of  the  Christian  Church,  who  waged 
war  against  heathendom,  and  victories  were  reported 
from  all  battle-fronts. 

Paul  also  performed  a  number  of  miracles,  and 
these,  of  course,  added  to  his  fame.  Prone  to  super- 
stition as  these  people  were,  they  tried  to  possess  them- 
selves of  some  article  belonging  to  the  apostle,  thinking 
by  them  to  cure  disease;  and  sorcerers,  who  saw  what. 
Paul  could  do,  tried  to  steal  the  secret  from  him.  Es- 
pecially was  this  true  of  seven  vagabond  Jewish  exor- 
cists, all  sons  of  the  high  priest  Sceva.  They  had  no- 
ticed that  when  Paul  performed  a  miracle  he  always 
mentioned  the  name  Jesus.  They  assumed  therefore 
that  this  name  had  some  secret  poAver,  and  they  took 
to  using  it;  but  their  attempt  to  drive  out  evil  spirits 
by  this  name  brought  only  punishment  and  shame  on 
them. 


108 

The  conduct  of  Paul  caused  people  to  discard  their 
old  faith  in  sorcery.  They  now  saw  that  it  was  a 
swindle;  and  they  lost  faith  in  the  sorcerers  and  their 
charms  and  formulas.  Books  dealing  with  these  curious 
superstitions  were  one  day  publicly  burned ;  "and  they 
counted  the  price  of  them,  and  found  it  fifty  thousand 
pieces  of  silver." 

So  mightily  grew  the  Word  of  God,  and  the  future 
seemed  full  of  promise.  But  then  came  trouble,  and  it 
went  from  bad  to  worse. 

The  Judaists  in  Jerusalem  saw  with  envy  and  anger 
how  the  Gentiles  in  great  numbers  joined  the  Pauline 
Churches.  The  Jews  now  were  but  a  little  handful  com- 
pared with  the  Gentile  Christians,  and  had  no  sort  of 
authority  over  these.  Paul  had  usurped  all  power;  the 
thing  must  be  stopped. 

Of  course  the  Judaists  could  not  hope  to  do  anything 
in  Ephesus,  where  Paul  himself  was  present.  They 
knew  from  old  experience  that  they  would  fail.  So  they 
looked  for  another  place  in  which  to  work  mischief, 
and  they  found  it  among  the  volatile  and  easily  moved 
Galatians. 

Among  them  they  began,  then,  a  persistent  attempt 
to  undermine  Paul  and  his  work,  and  to  draw  the 
people  away  from  him.  They  cared  nothing  about  the 
resolutions  adopted  by  the  conference  at  Jerusalem,  to 
the  effect  that  Paul  was  to  have  a  free  hand  in  his 
mission  field,  and  that  his  people  were  not  to  be  com- 
pelled to  observe  the  precepts  of  the  Jewish  Law.  For 
these  resolutions  had  tied  the  hands  of  the  Judaists ;  and 
they  knew  very  well  that  the  victoi-y  of  Paul's  Gospel 
would  mean  the  utter  ruin  of  the  hopes  and  plans  of 
the  Judaists. 

They  began,  then,  their  work  of  mischief,  and  put 
on  an  air  of  authority  in  order  to  impress  the  credulous 
Galatians.     They  told  them  that  the  promises  had  been 


109 

made  to  Abraham  and  his  children ;  and  if  the  Galatians 
wanted  to  share  the  blessings  they  must  become  Jews  by 
adoption  through  the  rite  of  Circumcision,  and  keep 
the  ordinances  which  God  had  given  to  Israel ;  for  there 
could  be  only  one  way  of  salvation. — But  in  order  to 
win  the  Galatians  the  Jews  must  undermine  the  author- 
ity of  Paul,  and  they  tried  every  means  to  that  end. 
They  made  diligent  use  of  every  sort  of  falsehood  and 
vituperation.  And  these  were  good  weapons,  unfortu- 
nately. The  Galatians  began  to  doubt  their  own  Chris- 
tianity ;  and  the  Judaists  had  already  persuaded  them  to 
observ^e  the  Jewish  rules  concerning  sacred  seasons  and 
the  like. 

How  long  the  Judaists  carried  on  this  work  among 
the  Galatian  Churches  before  Paul  heard  of  it,  we  do 
not  know.  When  he  did  hear  of  it  he  was  filled  with 
pain  and  grief;  and  it  was  in  hopes  of  stopping  this 
dangerous  movement  that  he  wrote  his  strong  letter  to 
the  Galatians;  a  letter  which  gives  us  a  wonderfully 
vivid  picture  of  Paul's  own  inner  life  and  of  his 
preaching. 

First  he  assures  his  beloved  Churches  that  the 
charges  made  by  the  Judaists  against  his  personal  char- 
acter were  false;  he  was  as  truly  as  any  of  the  others 
an  apostle  of  the  Lord.  Then  he  shows  them  the  deep 
difference  between  his  teaching  and  that  of  the  Judaists ; 
and  he  refutes  their  doctrines  in  detail  by  the  words  of 
Scripture.  His  thoughts  follow  the  straight  course,  and 
he  sets  forth  in  a  way  not  to  be  misunderstood  the  great 
fundamental  truths ;  so  that  the  readers  must  see  that 
there  is  only  one  Gospel,  namely,  the  one  which  they 
had  heard  from  Paul.  And  in  every  line  of  his  letter 
we  see  that  the  motive  power  behind  it  is  his  fervent 
love  of  the  Savior,  together  with  warm  charity  for  the 
erring  brethren.  It  is  this  which  makes  the  letters  of 
Paul    so    fascinating.      We    feel   the    beat   of    his    great 


no 

heart  in  every  sentence;  and  we  understand  the  strong- 
purpose  in  all  his  work  to  draw  as  many  as  possible 
to  the  Savior,  in  whom  he  has  his  being;  and  the  power 
of  his  words  over  the  minds  of  men. 

It  was  not  only  among  the  Galatians  that  the  enemy 
made  mischief;  they  were  looking  for  other  places  in 
which  to  do  the  same  thing.  Corinth  especially  seemed 
a  promising  place  to  them.  There  the  Congregation 
was  in  many  ways  working  under  great  difficulties,  and 
it  would  not  take  much  to  cause  the  building  to  topple 
over. 

Just  before  Paul  came  to  Ephesus  the  youthful  and 
enthusiastic  Apollos  had  gone  to  Corinth,  and  the  Cor- 
inthian Christians  asked  him  to  preach  to  them.  It  was 
soon  noticed  that  he  did  not  follow  Paul's  method  of 
preaching.  His  doctrine  did  not  conflict  with  the  Gos- 
pel according  to  Paul;  but  the  young  Alexandrian  knew 
how  to  present  the  Gospel  in  a  form  more  acceptable  to 
the  cultured  Greeks.  They  understood  the  arts  of 
oratory  too  well  to  take  kindly  to  Paul's  blunt  and  direct 
manner  of  preaching  the  plain  truth.  Apollos  seems 
to  have  had  all  that  cunning  of  speech  for  which  Alex- 
andria was  famous,  and  to  have  given  his  preaching  a 
certain  philosophical  color.  Probably  he  presented  the 
Gospel  as  a  divine  wisdom,  which  was  a  mystery  not  to 
be  understood  by  any  but  the  initiated;  and  thus  he, 
unintentionally  no  doubt,  promoted  an  unhealthy  spirit 
of  arrogance.  He  in  no  way  intended  to  injure  Paul's 
work,  or  to  draw  the  hearts  away  from  him ;  and  there 
never  was  any  quarrel  between  Apollos  and  Paul.  But 
this  did  not  prevent  many  from  becoming  partisans  of 
Apollos,  holding  him  to  be  better  worth  hearing;  while 
others  found  that  the  preaching  of  Paul  was  better 
after  all. 

Here  was  a  chance  for  the  Judaists  to  fish  in  troubled 
waters,  and  they   did  not  long  neglect  it.     In   Corinth 


Ill 

they  did  not  begin  with  the  demand  that  the  Gentile 
Christians  should  be  circumcised.  Such  a  demand  would 
have  done  them  no  good.  The  circumstances  rather 
invited  an  attack  on  the  character  of  the  apostle,  and 
they  circulated  all  sorts  of  bad  rumors  about  him.  If 
they  could  destroy  the  confidence  in  Paul,  the  rest  of 
their  work  would  be  easy.  To  ingratiate  themselves 
with  the  people  they  pretended  to  be  adherents  of  the 
apostle  Peter.  Him  they  lifted  to  the  skies,  while  they 
slandered  Paul.  Thus  there  came  to  be  a  Peter-party; 
making  three  parties,  that  of  Paul,  that  of  Apollos  and 
that  of   Peter. 

To  these  seems  to  have  been  added  a  fourth  party 
calling  itself  that  of  Christ.  They  would  have  neither 
Paul  nor  Apollos  nor  Peter  as  their  leader;  for  these 
were  but  men.  No,  they  wanted  no  leader  but  Christ. 
This  was  a  party  of  people  who  prided  themselves  on 
being  more  pious  and  spiritual  than  the  other  Christians. 

As  yet  the  Church  had  not  been  disrupted,  but  such 
contentions  must  in  the  end  lead  to  a  division.  Such 
personal  man-worship  is  fraught  with  many  dangers  to 
the  Congregation. 

But  this  was  not  all.  Unfortunately  it  was  brought 
out  that  the  Congregation  was  deeply  infected  witk 
moral  corruption.  The  Greeks  were  a  frivolous  people, 
prone  especially  to  sexual  delinquency.  Here  was  the 
sad  spectacle  a  Christian  Church  some  of  whose  mem- 
bers fell  a  prey  to  the  lusts  of  the  flesh.  One  member 
was  even  guilty  of  the  crime  of  incest.  At  the  love- 
feasts  of  the  Congregation  it  had  happened  that  people 
were  drunk ;  and  even  the  diverse  spiritual  gifts  had 
caused  unseemly  wrangling. 

Thus  the  Church  at  Corinth  was  in  a  sorry  plight. 
These  sad  reports  were  brought  to  the  apostle  by  those 
of  the  household  of  Chloe,  who  came  from  Corinth  to 
Ephesus.     Paul  received  also  a  letter  from  the  Church 


112 

at  Corinth  concerning  certain  practical  matters,  as  to 
which  there  was  a  difference  of  opinion:  Should  a 
Christian  marry?  Should  a  Christian  who  was  married 
to  an  unbeliever  seek  a  divorce?  Had  Christians  the 
right  to  eat  meat  which  had  been  offered  to  the  idols? 
How  were  the  diverse  spiritual  gifts  to  be  regarded? 
And  other  such  questions.  And,  besides,  they  thought 
that  Paul  had  been  unduly  severe  in  a  letter  to  them 
(1  Cor.  5:9).  They  submitted  that  if  they  must  obey 
his  demands  they  must  break  with  the  whole  world. 

Much  wisdom  and  the  love  of  Christ  were  needed 
to  restore  peace  and  discipline  to  this  sadly  disorganized 
Church.  To  Paul  it  was  the  more  difficult,  since  so 
many  had  tried  to  undermine  his  authority.  Besides, 
where  party  spirit  runs  high  all  are  usually  disposed  to 
think  themselves  wiser  than  the  others. 

These  were  sad  reports  received  by  the  apostle ;  and 
it  was  to  set  these  misguided  people  right  that  he  wrote 
his  First  Epistle  to  the  Corinthians. 

After  a  stay  of  nearly  two  and  a  half  years  in 
Ephesus  Paul  felt  that  it  was  time  to  leave.  He  wished 
to  'visit  Rome ;  but  before  going  he  wanted  to  collect 
some  money  in  his  Churches  for  the  benefit  of  the  poor 
in  Jerusalem.  Besides,  he  also  wished  to  visit  Mace- 
donia and  Greece,  and  especially  Corinth,  to  see  how 
his  people  were  getting  on. 

To  prepare  for  the  "drive"  for  money  he  sent  on 
before  him  his  treasurer  Erastus,  and  Timothy;  he  him- 
self intending  soon  to  follow  them.  But  just  before  he 
was  to  say  farewell  to  his  dear  Congregation  in  Ephesus 
there  was  made  a  wholly  unexpected  attack  on  him, 
which  came  near  costing  him  his  life. 

All  who  in  one  way  or  another  lived  off  the  wor- 
ship of  Diana  in  Ephesus  had  noticed  with  anger  how 
faith  in  this  goddess  was  gradually  dying  out,  and  many 
of  them  found  it  hard  to  live.     This  was  true  not  onlv 


113      • 

of  the  sorcerers  and  similar  confidence  men,  but  alsO' 
of  many  artisans.  Especially  did  the  goldsmiths  suffer 
loss,  as  the  demand  for  their  miniatures  of  the  temple 
decreased;  and  it  was  Paul's  fault,  of  course.  So  there 
was  much  bitterness  toward  him  among  these  people, 
and  the  goldsmith  Demetrius  made  himself  the  leader  of 
the  malcontents.  One  day  he  called  a  mass-meeting  and 
delivered  a  cunning  speech.  He  reminded  the  gold- 
smiths that  they  might  soon  close  their  shops,  if  Paul 
had  his  way;  and  what  was  still  worse,  that  people  were 
losing  their  reverence  for  the  goddess ;  and  were  she 
dethroned  it  would  mean  the  speedy  ruin  of  the  city. 
Thus  cunningly  was  this  Demetrius  able  to  appeal  to  the 
self-interest  of  his  hearers,  and  he  excited  the  fanati- 
cism of  the  mob;  and  when  he  closed  his  speech  they 
howled:  ''Great  is  Diana  of  the  Ephesians."  The  up- 
roar grew  worse  and  worse,  and  at  last  the  howling 
mob  started  for  the  theater.  On  the  way  they  fell  in 
with  Paul's  co-workers  Gains  and  Aristarchus  and  took 
these  men  with  them.  Paul  must  have  heard  the  uproar 
and  learned  that  his  two  friends  were  in  the  hands  of 
the  mob. — Paul  was  never  a  timid  man,  and  so  now 
he  wanted  to  go  out  and  talk  to  the  people.  He  was 
not  afraid  to  risk  his  life.  Some  Christians  begged 
him  not  to  put  himself  in  the  power  of  the  fickle  popu- 
lace, but  he  would  not  listen  to  them.  However,  when 
the  city  officials,  who  were  friendly  to  the  apostle, 
begged  him  to  keep  away  from  the  theater,  he  con- 
sented. For  he  then  knew  that  everything  possible 
would  be  done  to  save  his  two  friends  from  mob 
violence. 

The  great  theater,  with  room  for  50,000  persons, 
was  at  once  packed  by  a  noisy  mob,  acting  like  Bedlam 
let  loose ;  and  many  of  them  did  not  know  what,  it  was 
all  about.    They  kept  up  the  din  for  fully  two  hours. 

The  officials  let  them  howl;  knowing  that  when  they 


114 

tired  of  this  they  would  have  cooled  off  so  that  one 
might  speak  to  them.  So,  when  the  noise  ceased  the 
town  clerk  took  the  floor,  and  commanded  silence,  and 
made  a  very  adroit  speech :  It  was,  he  said,  well  known 
to  all  men  that  Ephesus  was  guardian  of  the  great 
goddess  Diana  and  of  the  image  which  fell  down  from 
Jupiter;  therefore  there  was  no  occasion  for  this  uproar. 
Besides,  the  two  men  were  peaceable  citizens  and  en- 
tirely harmless.  If  Demetrius,  then,  had  any  just  quar- 
rel w^ith  any,  he  could  make  formal  complaint  and  have 
the  case  tried  according  to  law.  They  must  bear  in 
mind  also  that  rioting  was  a  very  dangerous  matter ; 
if  this  affair  came  to  the  ears  of  the  governor  the  city 
might  be  held  responsible,  and  made  to  pay  dearly  for 
the  amusement. — This  speech  cooled  the  ardor  of  the 
noisy  rioters ;  they  were  ashamed  and  beat  a  hasty 
retreat. 

The  apostle  and  his  companions  were  thus  saved  by 
the  wise  intervention  of  the  authorities.  vShortly  after 
these  events  the  apostle  took  leave  of  the  Congregation 
in  Ephesus.  What  route  he  followed  is  somewhat  un- 
certain. But  it  seems  not  improbable  that  he  first  made 
a  flying  trip  to  Corinth  to  study  conditions  at  that  place. 
What  he  saw  would  seem  to  indicate  that  his  admon- 
itions had  done  but  little  good.  So  with  a  heavy  heart 
he  left  them  again,  and  crossed  over  to  Asia  Minor,  and 
visited  some  of  the  Churches  there,  and  stopped  for  a 
time  in  Troas.  From  this  place  he  sent  a  letter  to  the 
Church  in  Corinth  "out  of  much  affliction  and  anguish 
of  heart  and  with  many  tears ;  not  that  ye  should  be 
grieved,  but  that  ye  might  know  the  love  which  I  have 
more  abundantly  unto  you"  (2  Cor.  2:4).  He  ad- 
monished and  begged  them  to  return  to  the  right  paths, 
in  order  that  the  Church  might  not  be  laid  waste. 

The  apostle  waited  anxiously  for  the  return  of  Titus 
with  news  from  Corinth ;  but  as  Titus  seemed  to  be  slow 


115 

in  coming,  Paul  went  on  to  Macedonia,  where  he  visited 
his  beloved  Congregation  in  Philippi  and  also  those  in 
Thessalonica  and  Berea. 

While  staying  in  Macedonia  he  at  last  received  the 
anxiously  expected  report  from  Corinth.  Timothy,  who 
had  been  all  this  time  in  Corinth,  presented  himself  be- 
fore the  apostle;  and  with  him  Titus,  who  had  but  re- 
cently gone  to  Corinth,  possibly  with  the  above-men- 
tioned letter.  The  reports  which  these  men  brought 
cheered  the  apostle.  Conditions  in  the  Church  were 
much  improved;  and  this  caused  the  apostle  to  write  the 
letter  known  to  us  as  Second  Corinthians,  and  tell  them 
that  now  it  would  be  a  pleasure  to  him  to  visit  them 
again.  Still,  everything  was  not  as  it  should  be;  there 
was  yet  a  faction,  supported  by  the  Judaists,  who  were 
traducing  Paul  in  the  most  shameless  way  (2  Cor.  10: 
7-13;  11:5,  13-14).  He  wanted  to  stop  the  mouths 
of  these  slanderers,  and  thus  regain  his  authority  and 
good  name  in  the  Congregation.  Besides,  he  wanted  to 
encourage  the  Corinthians  to  begin  again  the  collection 
of  money  for  the  poor  in  Jerusalem — a  work  which, 
owing  to  the  confusion  in  the  Church,  had  been  neg- 
lected. 

It  is  probable  that  from  Macedonia  the  apostle  went 
to  Illyria  and  there  did  some  mission  work  (Romans 
15:19),  and  then  returned  to  Macedonia;  after  which 
he  went  to  Corinth,  which  city  he  now  visited  for  the 
third  time.  This  time  he  made  his  home  with  Gains 
and  made  a  stay  of  three  months  (Romans  16:23). 
This  visit  in  Corinth  greatly  comforted  the  apostle. 
The  clouds  had  rolled  by,  and  there  was  now  peace  in 
the  Church.  The  offenses  against  decency  had  been 
done  away  with,  and  there  were  no  warring  factions. 
None  rejoiced  over  this  more  than  did  the  apostle;  and 
no  doubt  he  more  than  once  thanked  the  Lord  for  the 
happy  outcome  of  the  matter. 


116 

In  the  soul  of  Paul  there  now  ruled  a  quiet  joy  and 
peace.  The  Lord  had  done  great  things  through  him ; 
the  Gospel  had  now  been  preached  from  Syria  to  the 
Adriatic ;  and  there  were  numerous  Congregations,  in 
which  the  Word  was  preached  and  the  Sacraments  ad- 
ministered to  the  assembled  Christians.  There  had  been 
stormy  times,  and  for  a  long  time  it  had  looked  dark  in 
Galatia  and  Corinth;  but  now  this  was  a  thing  of  the 
past;  the  attacks  of  the  Judaists  had  been  repelled. 

It  was  during  these  days  of  peace  and  joy  that  the 
apostle  wrote  his  wonderful  letter  to  the  Romans.  The 
sun  was  sinking;  but  before  going  down  it  poured  its 
warm  rays  over  the  fearless  soldier  of  Christ,  and 
breathed  into  his  heart  the  peace  and  gladness  which 
are  a  foretaste  of  the  joys  of  Heaven.  He  understood, 
however,  that  this  could  not.  last  long.  Dark  clouds  be- 
gan to  appear  in  the  east.  He  did  not  know  exactly 
what  they  might  portend,  but  they  looked  threatening. 
— Still  it  was  his  hope  and  prayer  that  he  might  live  to 
see  Rome  and  Spain  (Romans  15:19).  It  is  concern- 
ing this  that  he  wishes  in  advance  to  inform  the  Church 
in  the  capital  of  the  mighty  Empire. 

How  the  Church  at  Rome  came  to  be  founded  we  do 
not  know;  but  it  seems  to  have  been  done  by  persons 
coming   from   Congregations   organized  by  Paul. 

There  are  in  the  letter  but  few  allusions  to  conditions 
in  Rome;  for  this  Epistle  is  in  its  grand  universality 
lifted  high  above  the  plane  of  mere  history.  It  gives  a 
sublime  summary  of  the  Gospel,  and  shows  the  apostle's 
deep  understanding  of  God's  wonderful  providence;  and 
how  the  Gospel  is  a  power  of  God  unto  salvation  to  all 
them  that  believe,  to  the  Jew  first,  and  to  the  Gentile. 
All  are  equally  great  sinners  before  God,  and  are  there- 
fore in  equal  need  of  God's  mercy.  And  God  has  had 
mercy  upon  all ;  ''therefore  as  by  the  offense  of  one, 
judgment  came  upon  all  men  to  condemnation;  even  so 


117 

by  the  righteousness  of  One,  the  free  gift  came  upon 
all  men  unto  justification  of  life/'  In  the  faith  in  Christ 
all  men  have  righteousness  and  peace,  the  source  of  a 
holy  life  and  of  victory  over  all  enemies. 

After  three  months  in  Corinth  the  stay  came  to  an 
end.  The  moneys  collected  for  the  poor  in  Jerusalem 
Paul  wanted  to  bring  them  in  person  before  going  on 
to  Rome.  The  parting  from  the  friends  in  Corinth  was 
a  sad  one,  especially  for  Paul;  for  he  knew  that  there 
were  great  troubles  ahead  of  him.  The  hatred  of  the 
Judaists  had  not  become  less  bitter  by  their  being  put 
out  of  the  Churches.  Now  they  were  seeking  Paul's 
life.  He  knew  but  too  well  the  enmity  of  the  Jews  in 
Palestine,  and  that  he  was  never  safe  from  assassina- 
tion. The  anxieties  of  the  apostle  are  vividly  pictured 
in  these  words  to  the  Christians  in  Rome:  ''Now  I  be- 
seech you,  brethren,  for  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ's  sake, 
and  for  the  love  of  the  Spirit,  that  ye  strive  together 
with  me  in  your  prayers  to  God  for  me;  that  I  may  be 
delivered  from  them  that  are  disobedient  in  Judea,  and 
that  my  service  which  I  have  for  Jerusalem  may  be  ac- 
cepted of  the  saints"   (Romans   15:30-31). 

In  order  to  escape  his  Jewish  enemies  Paul  changed 
his  route  and  went  by  way  of  Macedonia.  He  spent 
Easter  in  his  beloved  Philippi,  and  then  took  ship  over 
to  Troas  in  Asia  Minor.  There  were  many  who  this 
time  went  with  him  over  to  Asia.  On  Sunday  the 
Congregation  at  Philippi  assembled  for  church  services, 
including  holy  Communion,  and  the  meeting  lasted  till 
late  into  the  night. 

The  following  day  the  apostle  went  over  land  to 
Assus,  from  which  port  his  companions,  who  had  gone 
on  ahead,  had  engaged  passage  by  ship.  They  sailed 
along  the  coast  of  Asia  Minor  and  came  to  Miletus.  He 
had  summoned  the  elders  from  Ephesus  to  meet  him 
there,  as  he  did  not  have  the  time  to  visit  their  citv. 


118 

On  the  shore  near  Miletus  Paul  met  with  the  breth- 
ren of  these  parts  to  bid  them  the  last  farewell.  It  was 
as  beautiful  and  touching  a  scene  as  can  well  be  im- 
agined. The  apostle  preached,  and  reminded  his  hearers 
of  how  he  had,  in  humility  and  through  many  troubles, 
served  the  Lord;  and  now  he  was  on  his  way  to  Jeru- 
salem, being  confident  that  this  was  God's  will.  He 
knows  that  it  will  be  a  hard  journey.  "Bonds  and  af- 
flictions abide.  But  none  of  these  things  move  me, 
neither  count  I  my  life  dear  unto  myself,  so  that  I 
might  finish  my  course  with  joy,  and  the  ministry  which 
I  have  received  of  the  Lord  Jesus."  Then  he  begged 
them  to  care  for  the  flock  which  the  Lord  had  committed 
to  their  care,  and  to  guard  against  errors  of  doctrine, 
and  not  to  forget  their  apostle  and  his  admonitions. 
"And  now  I  commend  you  to  God,  and  to  the  Word  of 
His  grace,  which  is  able  to  build  you  up,  and  to  give  you 
an  inheritance  among  all  them  which  are  sanctified." 

When  he  had  said  this  he  kneeled  down  and  prayed 
with  them  all.  But  they  all  wept  bitterly,  and  embraced 
Paul  and  kissed  him;  sorrowing  most  of  all  because  he 
said  that  they  should  no  more  see  his  face.  It  was  an 
impressive  leave-taking. 

Paul  and  his  companions  went  on  board,  and  the 
friends  on  shore  watched  the  ship  till  it  was  beyond 
their  view.  The  voyagers  sailed  along  the  shore  to 
Coos,  Rhodes  and  Patara;  and  there  took  another  ship 
for  Tyre,  where  it  was  to  unload  its  cargo. 

In  Tyre  they  were  obliged  to  stop  a  whole  week ;  and 
is  was  a  great  comfort  to  the  apostle  that  here,  also, 
there  was  a  Christian  Congregation,  which  gave  him  a 
cordial  reception.  The  brethren  here  strongly  advised 
him  not  to  go  to  Jerusalem.  They  were  near  enough 
to  be  well  acquainted  with  the  sentiment  in  this  city. 
But  Paul  would  not  yield.  So  the  whole  Congregation, 
men,  women  and  children,   went  with  him  out   of  the 


119 

city,  "and  we  kneeled  down  on  the  shore  and  prayed. 
And  when  we  had  taken  leave  one  of  another,  we  took 
ship;  and  they  returned  home  again"    (Acts   21). 

At  Ptolemais,  also,  where  the  ship  touched,  they 
found  a  Christian  Church ;  and  then  they  came  to  Caesa- 
rea,  the  end  of  the  voyage.  We  do  not  know  whether 
or  not  the  centurion  Cornelius  was  still  living.  But  it 
is  on  record  that  Paul  lodged  with  the  evangelist  Philip, 
who  had  been  one  of  the  seven  elders  of  the  Church 
in  Jerusalem.  In  the  persecutions  following  the  martyr- 
dom of  Stephen,  this  Philip  had  fled  to  Caesarea,  where 
he  settled  as  a  missionary  in  the  town  and  surrounding 
districts.  Now  the  persecutor  and  the  persecuted  were 
become  friends. 

While  the  apostle  had  his  home  with  Philip  they 
were  visited  by  an  old  acquaintance,  the  prophet  Agabus 
from  Jerusalem.  He  was  in  terror  when  he  heard  that 
Paul  was  on  his  way  to  Jerusalem;  for  Agabus  had 
but  now  come  from  this  city  and  knew  exactly  how 
matters  stood.  When  Paul  still  was  determined  to  go 
there,  Agabus  took  Paul's  girdle  and  bound  his  own 
hands  and  feet  to  illustrate  his  meaning,  and  said: 
"Thus  saith  the  Holy  Ghost :  So  shall  the  Jews  at  Jeru- 
salem bind  the  man  that  owneth  this  girdle,  and  shall 
deliver  him  into  the  hands  of  the  Gentiles."  All  who 
heard  these  words  of  Agabus  were  much  afraid,  and 
begged  Paul  not  to  go  up  to  Jerusalem.  But  he  an- 
swered :  "What  mean  ye  to  weep  and  to  break  mine 
heart?  For  I  am  ready  not  to  be  bound  only,  but  also 
to  die  at  Jerusalem  for  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus." 
The  prospect  of  torture  and  death  did  not  frighten  him. 
He  knew  that  one  might  die  cheerfully ;  but  to  go  against 
the  will  of  his  Lord — that  was  something  which  he 
could  not  do.  And  if  the  Lord  now  wanted  him  to  go 
to  Jerusalem  his  life  was  in  God's  hand.  The  warm 
love  of  his   friends   made  a   deep   impression  on  him; 


120 

while  their  grief  and  anxiety  pained  him  more  than  did 
the  thought  of  a  violent  death  at  the  hand  of  an  enemy. 
Not  many  could  have  resisted  the  entreaties  of  the 
friends.  "But  when  he  would  not  be  persuaded,  we 
ceased,  saying:  The  will  of  the  Lord  be  done." 

So  there  was  nothing  to  be  done ;  so  after  some  days 
the  apostle  and  his  traveling  companions  set  out  on  their 
journey  to  the  holy  city  of  the  Jews.  Some  of  the 
friends  from  Caesarea  went  with  them  to  secure  them  a 
lodging  in  the  home  of  an  acquaintance,  an  old  Christian 
named  Mnason  of  Cyprus. 

At  the  time  of  Pentecost,  in  the  year  59,  the  apostle 
came,  then,  to  Jerusalem,  thus  ending  what  is  usually 
counted  as  his  third  missionary  expedition. 


IX»    In  Prison* 


"If  I  have  committed  any  thing  zvorthy  of  death,  I  refuse 
not  to  die;  hut  if  there  he  none  of  these  things  whereof 
these  accuse  me,  no  man  may  deliver  me  to  them.  I  appeal 
unto  Caesar"  (Acts  25:  11). 

These  were  troublous  times  in  Judaea,  and  par- 
ticularly in  Jerusalem.  People  were  walking  as  on  a 
volcano.  A  spirit  of  unrest  was  smoldering  in  the  heart 
of  the  masses,  and  might  at  any  moment  break  out  in 
the  devouring  flames  of  revolution.  The  country  was  a 
Roman  province,  and  was  heavily  oppressed;  and  the 
Roman  officials,  particularly  the  governors,  harassed  the 
people  in  every  possible  way.  The  ruler  of  the  province 
at  this  time  was  Felix,  a  former  slave,  who  had  been 
able  to  climb  the  political  ladder,  a  cruel  and  grasping 
man,  who  would  stop  at  nothing  to  gain  his  ends.  He 
had,  as  one  of  the  Roman  historians  puts  it,  the  power 
of  a  king  and  the  soul  of  a  slave. 


121 

The  relation  between  the  oppressed  Jews  and  their 
tnasters  had  been  far  from  friendly ;  but,  of  course,  the 
situation  grew  worse  under  this  man  Felix.  There 
had  been  a  number  of  revolutionary  factions,  and  to 
them  was  now  added  a  new  faction  called  the  Sicarians. 
The  name  is  derived  from  the  word  sica,  which  means 
a  small  dagger.  These  people  were  the  Jewish  anar- 
chists, whose  plan  of  campaign  was  to  get  rid  of  their 
opponents  by  the  simple  expedient  of  murdering  them. 
They  were  a  secret  society,  and  the  members  carried 
the  dagger  under  their  clothes.  They  were  guilty  of 
many  dastardly  murders,  and  had  generally  managed  to 
escape  punishment.  Sometimes  they  went  about  from 
place  to  place  in  bands,  plundering,  burning  and  killing. 
People  could  never  feel  that  their  lives  were  safe. 

On  top  of  all  this  misery  came  a  number  of  quarrels 
between  the  high  priests  and  the  lesser  clergy,  and  some- 
times even  these  led  to  deeds  of  violence. 

Religious  fanaticism,  internal  dissensions,  a  lawless 
revolutionary  spirit,  and  hatred  of  everything  that  was 
not  Jewish — this  was  the  Jerusalem  to  which  Paul  now 
came. 

The  reception  accorded  him  was  not  marked  by  the 
good-will  which  he  had  a  right  to  expect ;  coming  as  he 
did  with  a  large  sum  of  money  for  the  poor,  sent  as  a 
free  gift  from  the  members  of  his  Gentile-Christian 
Churches.  Some  few  there  were  who  received  him  cor- 
dially; but  he  was  soon  to  learn  that  the  sentiment  was 
unfriendly  among  the  Jewish  Christians  as  well  as 
among  those  outside  of  the  Congregation. 

There  were  few  who  grasped  the  importance  of  the 
great  work  of  his  life ;  they  did  not  understand  his 
kingly  idea :  One  holy,  general.  Christian  Church. 
Neither  did  they  understand,  narrow  and  bigoted  as 
they  were,  his  persistent  efforts  to  unite  Jew  and  Gen- 
tile, and  to  maintain  friendly  relations  between  the  Con- 


122 

gregation  in  Jerusalem  and  his  missionary  Churches,  his 
nobihty  of  character  and  his  big  heart.  Besides,  here 
was  a  good  field  for  the  Judaists;  and  they  diligently 
cultivated  it,  in  the  Congregation  and  among  the  out- 
siders. They  distorted  what  he  said  about  the  Jews 
and  the  Law,  and  they  embellished-  his  preaching  with 
Judaistic  comments;  and  thus  the  very  success  of  his 
work  had  strengthened  the  opposition  to  him.  A  meet- 
ing was  arranged,  of  course,  at  which  Paul  was  to 
speak;  and  he  related  many  instances  to  show  how  the 
work  of  God  had  prospered  among  the  Gentiles.  But 
his  words  fell  flat;  a  majority  of  his  hearers  remained 
cold  and  held  aloof  from  him.  Some  few  there  were 
who  listened  with  interest  to  his  reports,  but  the  un- 
comfortable feeling  remained  nevertheless. 

Naturally,  under  such  circumstances  there  are  cer- 
tain spineless  people  who  lean  to  both  sides  and  want 
to  cover  up  the  trouble.  These  now  came  forward  with 
a  plan  which  they  thought  would  smooth  the  rough 
places.  They  turned  to  Paul  and  said:  "Thou  seest, 
brother,  how  many  thousands  of  Jews  there  are  which 
believe :  and  they  are  zealous  of  the  Law ;  and  they  are 
informed  of  thee,  that  thou  teachest  all  the  Jews  which 
are  among  the  Gentiles  to  forsake  Moses,  saying  that 
they  ought  not  to  circumcise  their  children,  neither  to 
walk  after  the  customs.  What  is  it,  therefore? — Then 
they  explained  to  him  how  that  great  numbers  would 
come  together  when  it  became  generally  known  that  he 
was  in  Jerusalem,  and  how  difficult  it  would  be  for  him 
to  stand  against  them.  So,  as  a  way  out  of  the  diffi- 
culty, they  had  a  proposition  to  make :  There  were  four 
Christian  men  who  had  taken  a  vow  to  become  Naza- 
renes.  They  were  poor;  and  it  was  regarded  as  a  good 
deed  if  some  wealthy  persons  took  it  upon  themselves 
to  defray  the  expense  of  keeping  such  a  vow.  Now  it 
was  suggested  that  Paul  might  do  this,  and  stay  with 


123 

the  four  men  for  a  week  in  the  temple  as  a  penitent, 
and  thus  show  that  he  also  obeyed  the  Jewish  precepts 
and  the  Law.  In  other  words,  Paul  was  asked,  for  the 
sake  of  peace  and  out  of  consideration  for  the  "zealous" 
ones,  to  place  his  neck  under  the  yoke  of  the  Law. 
These  were  trying  times  for  the  apostle.  His  soul  was 
in  torture;  and  there  was  no  Peter  present  to  save  the 
situation.  Now,  what  was  Paul  to  do?  Was  he  to  rise 
against  these  people  in  defense  of  Christian  liberty,  and 
thus  challenge  the  storm  to  begin  ?  Or  would  it  be 
better  to  yield  and  be  a  Jew  among  the  Jews,  in  order, 
if  possible,  to  win  some  of  them?  Could  he  with  a  good 
conscience  do  this?  These  questions  caused  him  a 
hard  fight  with  himself;  and  the  upshot  was,  that  for 
the  sake  of  peace  he  decided  to  yield.  But  the  storm 
was  not  to  be  thus  turned  aside. 

The  seven  days  of  cleansing  prescribed  by  the  Law 
were  almost  ended,  when  the  storm  broke.  A  number 
of  Jews  were  come  from  Asia  Minor  to  Jerusalem  as 
pilgrims  to  celebrate  the  feast  of  Pentecost;  and  they 
knew  the  apostle,  and  hated  him  most  cordially;  for 
none  other  had  inflicted  such  wounds  on  them  as  he. 
Out  in  the  provinces  they  could  not  attack  him,  but  here 
they  might  do  it  with  better  hope  of  success.  One  day 
they  saw  the  apostle  in  the  company  of  an  Ephesian 
Christian  named  Trophimus.  And  then  they  began  to 
cry  out  that  Paul,  the  seducer  of  the  people,  was  guilty 
of  sacrilege,  as  he  had  entered  the  temple,  taking  with 
him  one  of  his  heathen  friends.  This  the  mob  under- 
stood to  mean  that  Paul  had  taken  the  Greek  into  the 
holy  place  of  the  Jews — a  crime  punishable  by  death. 
The  Jews  went  wild  with  fury.  Their  shouts  filled  all 
the  place  about  the  temple,  where  great  numbers  of 
people  were  assembled;  and  spread  over  the  city,  so  that 
others  came  running  from  every  direction  to  learn  what 
was  doing.     When  they  were  told  that  the  sanctity  of 


124 

the  temple  had  been  violated,  all  were  mad  with  fanat- 
icism:— this  man  must  be  put  to  death. 

There  was  no  difficulty  in  finding  the  apostle,  who 
was  undergoing  the  ceremony  of  purification  in  the 
temple.  With  shrieks  and  much  noise  he  was  dragged 
out  of  the  temple ;  and  now  the  Jews  could  give  free 
reign  to  their  hatred.  In  the  temple  itself  they  could 
not  well  kill  him,  for  then  they  would  have  befouled 
the  sanctuary  with  his  blood. — When  the  furious  mob 
had  dragged  him  out  into  the  open  the  gates  of  the 
temple  were  shut. 

The  mob  had  begun  to  beat  him  to  death,  when  there 
were  heard  shouts  and  the  loud  blare  of  the  war 
trumpet.  The  mob  desisted  for  a  moment;  and  then 
they  saw  a  body  of  Roman  soldiers,  who  came  marching 
under  arms  to  the  scene  of  the  rioting,  and  demanded 
to  know  what  the  trouble  was.  The  Jews  knew  that 
even  less  than  this  might  by  the  Romans  be  regarded  as 
a  revolt  against  lawful  authority,  and  in  those  days 
there  was  no  long  distance  to  the  gallows  or  the  cross. 

So  the  Jews  drew  back,  and  the  life  of  the  apostle 
had  this  time  been  saved  by  the  Roman  troops.  In 
explanation  of  how  the  Romans  came  so  promptly  to 
the  rescue,  it  may  be  mentioned  that  at  the  northwest 
corner  of  the  temple,  on  a  hill  commanding  the  whole 
place,  was  the  strong  fortress  Antonia.  Here  there 
was  at  all  times  a  garrison  of  soldiers;  and  this  was 
strengthened  at  the  festal  seasons,  which  brought  such 
large  numbers  of  Jews  to  Jerusalem.  The  guards  who 
patrolled  the  walls  kept  a  sharp  eye  on  the  doings 
around  the  temple,  and  some  soldiers  were  always  held 
in  readiness  to  sally  forth  at  once  at  the  least  sign  of 
trouble. 

When  the  soldiers  reached  Paul  he  was  placed  under 
arrest;  and  the  captain  ordered  him  put  in  chains,  and 
asked  the  people  who  this  man  was,  and  what  he  had 


125 

done.  But  some  cried  one  thing,  some  another;  and 
the  captain  could  make  nothing  of  it. 

The  captain  thought  to  himself  that  he  had  made 
an  important  capture;  for  he  guessed  that  his  prisoner 
was  a  certain  Egyptian  revolutionary  leader,  who  had 
led  4,000  men  out  into  the  desert  and  had  then  disap- 
peared. So  the  captain  was  greatly  astonished  when 
Paul  spoke  to  him  in  the  Greek  tongue.  Now  he  learnt 
that  Paul  was  a  Jew  from  Tarsus,  and  that  he  wished 
to  speak  to  the  people  in  his  own  defense. 

The  captain  barely  managed  to  bring  the  prisoner 
unscathed  up  to  the  castle;  for  the  multitude  pressed  in 
on  the  soldiers,  and  shouted:  Away  with  him;  and  they 
seemed  determined  to  put  him  out  of  the  way  for  good 
and  all.  The  soldiers  had  to  .lift  him  up  on  their 
shoulders  and  carry  him.  At  the  stone  stairs  up  to  the 
castle  the  people  were  stopped,  and  the  captain  let  Paul 
speak  to  them.  While  the  soldiers  held  the  people  back, 
Paul  took  his  stand  on  the  stairs,  and  beckoned  with  his 
hand.  This  unexpected  appearance  of  the  sorely 
wounded  man,  who  stepped  forward  to  address  them, 
cowed  the  vulgar  mob.  They  held  their  peace,  and  he 
began  to  speak  to  them  in  the  Hebrew  language.  He  told 
them  of  his  life  from  his  childhood;  of  the  time  when 
he  sat  at  the  feet  of  Gamaliel;  of  his  zeal  for  Judaism 
and  his  persecution  of  the  Christians ;  and  then  how  the 
Lord  had  stopped  him  on  the  way  to  Damascus ;  and 
how  he  had  become  a  Christian,  and  in  the  temple  itself 
had  been  called  of  the  Lord  to  preach  the  Gospel  to  the 
Gentiles. 

Thus  far  they  heard  him  without  interruption ;  but 
when  he  said  this  about  the  Gentiles,  the  multitude 
again  began  shouting  that  he  should  be  put  to  death. 
And  then,  according  to  the  Jewish  custom,  when  touched 
by  great  sorrow,  they  tore  ofif  their  clothes  and  sprinkled 
themselves  with  dust. 


126 

The  chief  captain  did  not  rightly  know  just  what 
to  do,  but  thought  to  learn  more  of  the  matter  by  caus- 
ing Paul  to  be  scourged.  So  he  commanded  one  of  his 
underlings  to  tie  Paul  to  the  whipping  post  and  flog 
him.  However,  when  they  came  to  the  whipping  post 
before  the  castle,  and  were  about  to  apply  the  torture, 
Paul  called  to  the  centurion  standing  by  and  asked  him: 
''Is  it  lawful  for  you  to  scourge  a  man  that  is  a  Roman, 
and  uncondemned  ?"  This  declaration  by  Paul  of  his 
Roman  citizenship  gave  the  centurion  something  like 
an  electric  shock.  He  at  once  reported  to  his  superior 
officer,  asking  if  they  should  scourge  the  prisoner 
though  knowing  him  to  be  a  Roman  citizen.  The  chief 
captain  was  equally  surprised,  and  asked  Paul  how  he 
could  be  a  Roman ;  this  being  a  dignity  which  the  cap- 
tain himself  had  bought  for  a  large  sum  of  money. 
''But  I,"  said  Paul,  "was  born  to  it." 

The  captain  then  thought  best  to  shift  his  course; 
and  as  he  understood  that  the  whole  turmoil  hinged 
on  some  religious  question,  he  called  together  the 
sanhedrin,  which  had  jurisdiction  in  all  matters  of 
religion. 

The  apostle  was  taken  the  short  distance  from  the 
castle  to  the  court-room.  Now  he  stood  in  the  place 
where  the  Savior  Himself  had  stood  before  His  ac- 
cusers, and  where  later  had  stood  Peter  and  John, 
Stephen  and  other  champions  of  the  faith.  He  probably 
knew  also  some  members  of  the  council,  since  the  time 
when  they  had  given  him  letters  of  authority  to  perse- 
cute the  Christians.  Now  these  same  men  were  to  be 
his  judges;  and  he  knew  how  bitterly  they  hated  him. 
Had  he  not  been  under  the  protection  of  the  Roman 
authorities,  his  life  would  not  have  been  worth  an  hour's 
purchase.  But  he  knew  also  that,  in  spite  of  his  rights 
as  a  Roman,  the  sanhedrin  had  sufficient  authority,  so 
that  they  might  have   him  thrown  into  prison ;  and   if 


127 

he  were  in  their  power  they  would  make  short  shift  of 
him.     This  he  must  guard  against. 

Even  now  Paul  knew  no  fear,  and  he  boldly  said 
to  his  judges :  "Men  and  brethren,  I  have  lived  in  all 
good  conscience  before  God  until  this  day." 

At  this  point  his  speech  was  cut  short,  as  the  high 
priest  Ananias,  whom  Paul  did  not  know,  commanded 
one  of  the  servants  to  smite  him  on  the  mouth.  Then 
Paul  lost  his  temper  and  hotly  declared:  ''God  shall 
smite  thee,  thou  whited  wall ;  for  thou  sittest  to  judge 
me  after  the  Law,  and  commandest  me  to  be  smitten 
contrary  to  the  Law."  One  of  the  men  standing  by 
called  the  attention  of  Paul  to  the  impropriety  of  an- 
swering the  high  priest  in  that  way;  and  Paul  admitted 
his  fault,  explaining  that  he  had  not  known  the  high 
priest;  else  he  would  not  have  used  such  unseemly 
words,  for  it  is  written :  ''Thou  shalt  not  speak  evil  of 
the  ruler  of  thy  people." 

This  little  episode  shows  us  how  wide  the  difference 
is,  after  all,  between  the  divine  ]\Iaster  and  his  fore- 
most servant.  In  this  same  place  the  Lord  Himself  had 
been  smitten  on  the  mouth,  but  He  uttered  no  word  of 
resentment  or  anger. 

It  was  clear  that  the  apostle  could  expect  no  fair 
treatment  from  these  people,  and  to  defend  himself 
would  be  a  mere  waste  of  words.  Under  the  circum- 
stances it  was  fortunate  that  he  knew  some  of  the 
judges,  and  understood  how  easy  it  was  to  set  them 
by  the  ears.  So  he  cunningly  intimated  that  he  was 
being  persecuted  for  his  doctrine,  in  that  he  in  common 
with  the  Pharisees  believed  in  the  resurrection  of  the 
dead.  With  this  statement  he  had  fired  the  mine. 
There  at  once  ensued  fierce  wrangling  between  the 
Pharisees  and  the  Sadducees,  *  so  that  the  council  was 
broken  up  in  disorder. 

The  Roman  captain  was  astonished  at  this  comedy ; 


128 

and  when  the  turmoil  became  too  great  he  let  his  men 
take  a  hand  in  the  matter,  in  order  to  protect  the 
prisoner  and  take  him  back  to  the  castle. 

Paul  was  heavy  of  heart,  as  on  the  night  following 
he  tossed  on  his  couch,  unable  to  sleep.  But  the  Lord 
remembered  his  faithful  servant  and  revealed  Himself 
to  him,  and  strengthened  him.  The  sorely  tried  man 
saw  his  Savior,  who  said  to  him:  "Be  of  good  cheer, 
Paul ;  for  as  thou  hast  testified  of  me  in  Jerusalem,  so 
must  thou  bear  witness  also  at  Rome."  These  were 
truly  words  of  cheer:  His  one  greatest  ambition,  to 
testify  in  Rome  of  his  Lord  and  Master,  was  after  all  to 
be  realized. 

Next  day  the  members  of  the  council  were  in  no 
good  humor.  The  pernicious  Paul  had  been  in  their 
power;  and  they  allowed  themselves  to  be  tricked  into 
letting  him  escape.  It  certainly  was  exasperating.  Nor 
were  they  the  only  ones  to  be  angry.  Some  other 
Jewish  fanatics,  who  had  heard  of  the  disastrous  out- 
come of  the  trial  before  the  sanhedrin,  had  formed  a 
conspiracy,  and  had  taken  a  solemn  oath  not  to  taste 
food  or  drink  before  they  had  put  the  apostle  out  of 
the  way.  There  were  about  fifty  of  these  conspirators, 
and  they  cunningly  counseled  the  sanhedrin  to  demand 
a  further  investigation  of  the  charges  against  Paul  on 
the  following  day;  and  when  Paul  then  was  on  his  way 
between  the  castle  and  the  place  of  trial  the  conspirators 
would  see  to  it  that  he  was  put  to  death. 

However,  in  spite  of  every  efifort  to  preserve  their 
secret,  news  of  the  conspiracy  leaked  out;  and  among 
those  who  heard  of  it  was  a  son  of  Paul's  sister.  He 
then  at  once  went  up  to  the  castle  and  warned  the 
apostle  of  the  new  danger  threatening  him.  The  apostle 
called  one  of  the  centurions  and  asked  him  to  take  the 
youftg  man  before  the  chief  captain,  for  whom  he  had 
an    important    piece    of    news.      The    young    man    was 


129 

brought  before  the  commandant,  and  told  him  what  was 
in  the  wind ;  and  the  commandant  did  not  doubt  the 
truth  of  the  story.  He  sent  the  young  man  away  with  a 
warning  to  say  nothing  of  the  matter,  nor  of  his  having 
been  at  the  castle. 

This  chief  captain  was  a  wise  and  prudent  man ; 
and  he  knew  the  Jews.  So  he  would  not  risk  keeping 
the  prisoner  in  the  castle,  but  decided  to  send  him  away 
that  same  evening.  He  called  the  centurions  and  gave 
them  orders  to  hold  four  companies  of  100  men  each 
in  readiness  for  marching,  together  with  70  horsemen 
and  a  beast  for  the  prisoner  to  ride,  and  to  take  Paul  to 
Caesarea,  to  the  governor  Felix ;  and  he  gave  them  a 
letter  to  the  governor  with  a  full  account  of  the  charges 
against  the  prisoner. 

So  with  an  escort  worthy  of  a  king  Paul  left  Jeru- 
salem, which  city  he  was  never  to  see  again.  None 
who  saw  the  pageant  knew  what  it  meant ;  and  even 
if  they  had  met  one  of  the  robber  bands  the  guard  of 
soldiers  was  strong  enough  to  protect  the  prisoner.  In 
the  forenoon  of  the  second  day  the  party  reached  Anti- 
patris ;  from  which  place  the  main  body  of  soldiers  re- 
turned to  Jerusalem,  while  the  horsemen  went  on  with 
Paul  to  Caesarea  and  delivered  him  to  the  governor 
Felix.  Thus  were  fulfilled  the  words  of  Agabus,  saying 
that  Paul  was  to  be  bound  in  Jerusalem  and  given  into 
the  hands  of  the  Gentiles. 

It  was  barely  two  weeks  since  the  apostle,  disre- 
garding all  warnings,  went  from  this  place  to  the  holy 
city  of  the  Jews ;  and  now  he  was  brought  back  as  a 
Roman  political  prisoner,  to  be  kept  in  Herod's  palace, 
or  the  praetorium.  And  he  surely  did  not  then  dream 
that  he  was  to  remain  there  for  two  long  years. 

When  the  sanhedrin,  on  the  morning  after  Paul's 
being  taken  away,  sent  to  the  castle  asking  that  he 
be  again  brought  to  trial,  they  learnt  that  their  hated 

5 


130 

adversary  had  escaped  them.  They  were  disappointed 
and  angry,  but  were  not  disposed  to  give  up  the  fight. 
They  determined  to  send  a  delegation  to  the  governor 
in  Caesarea  and  try  to  secure  possession  of  the  prisoner. 
The  foremost  men  of  the  council,  headed  by  the  high 
priest,  were  members  of  this  delegation;  and  they  took 
with  them  a  Roman  lawyer  named  Tertullus,  who  was 
to  present  their  case  and  see  to  it  that  the  legal  for- 
malities were  observed. 

A  few  days  after  the  imprisonment  of  Paul  in 
Caesarea  this  delegation  put  in  their  appearance.  They 
had  made  all  possible  haste,  as  they  were  afraid  that 
Felix  might  set  Paul  at  liberty. — So  the  governor  sat 
as  a  trial  judge,  and  let  the  prisoner  and  his  accusers 
appear  before  him,  that  he  might  hear  both  sides.  The 
lawyer  of  the  plaintiffs  was  allowed  to  open  the  case. 
He  began  by  trying  to  win  the  favor  of  Felix  by 
means  of  flattery,  and  then  he  took  up  the  charges 
against  Paul.  The  apostle  was  described  as  a  pestilent 
fellow  and  a  mover  of  insurrections,  and  as  a  ringleader 
of  the  Nazarene  sect;  and  besides,  he  had  profaned  the 
temple.  For  these  reasons  the  sanhedrin  had  laid  hold 
on  him,  the  matter  being  one  in  which  they  had  juris- 
diction; and  the  case  would  have  followed  the  regular 
course,  had  not  the  chief  captain  of  the  castle,  by  force 
and  without  authority,  meddled  with  the  matter  and  put 
himself  in  possession  of  the  prisoner.  Now  they 
wanted  Felix  to  examine  into  the  matter;  and  they  did 
not  doubt  that  he  would  declare  them  to  be  in  the  right. 
— Thus  argued  Tertullus;  and  the  high  priest  and  the 
others  corroborated  his  statements  in  every  particular. 

When  they  had  finished,  the  governor  called  on  Paul 
to  defend  himself.  The  apostle  spoke  calmly  and  to 
the  point.  He  began  with  the  statement  that  Felix, 
having  had  much  erperience  as  a  judge  among  the  Jews, 
would  find  it  easy  to  follow  the  case,  and  to  understand 


131 

hoM-  utterly  without  foundation  the  charges  were.  It 
was  but  twelve  days  since  he,  Paul,  went  from  Caesarea 
up  to  Jerusalem  to  worship ;  and  he  had  made  no  speech 
of  any  kind  in  the  synagogue  or  ony  other  place  in  the 
city.  Nor  had  he  in  any  way  incited  any  man  to  revolt 
against  the  government ;  and  his  accusers  had  offered  no 
evidence  whatever  in  support  of  that  charge.  It  was 
true  that  he  belonged  to  the  Nazarene  sect;  but  as  a 
Nazarene  he  was  not  an  infidel.  On  the  contrary,  he 
believed  all  that  was  written  in  the  Law  and  the  Proph- 
ets ;  and  he  also  believed  in  the  resurrection  of  the  dead. 
"Herein  I  also  exercise  myself  to  have  a  conscience 
void  of  offense  toward  God  and  men  always." 

The  charge  that  he  had  incited  insurrection  was 
plainly  preposterous;  for  it  was  several  years  since  he 
had  visited  Jerusalem,  and  he  had  now  gone  to  that 
city  as  the  bearer  of  a  large  sum  of  money  for  distribu- 
tion among  the  poor.  He  had  been  there  but  a  few 
days,  and  had  spent  the  greater  part  of  this  time  in  the 
temple,  engaged  in  the  Levitical  rites  of  purification. 
And  while  he  was  thus  following  the  noiseless  tenor  of 
his  way  some  Jews  from  Asia  Minor  had  seen  him  and 
started  a  riot.  These  were  the  people  who  should  have 
been  here  to  make  charges  against  him,  but  they  kept 
out  of  the  way.  Now,  the  men  who  were  present  as 
his  accusers  knew  that  he  had  been  before  the  san- 
hedrin;  and  they  should  have  given  an  account  of  the 
proceedings  before  that  court,  if  any  guilt  had  been 
proven  against  him.  For  his  own  part  he  knew  of 
nothing,  unless  it  be  the  declaration  which  he  had  made : 
"Touching  the  resurrection  of  the  dead,  I  am  called  in 
question  before  you  this  day." 

Felix  understood  the  situation  very  well;  and  to  rid 
himself  of  the  Jews  he  declared  the  trial  continued 
until  the  chief  captain  could  come  from  Jerusalem  with 
a  more  detailed  report.     He  ordered,  therefore,  the  cen- 


132 

turion  to  keep  Paul  in  charge,  but  to  allow  him  all 
possible  liberty  and  to  let  his  friends  visit  him  and 
show  him  every  attention. 

Now,  of  course,  it  was  the  duty  of  Felix  either  to  set 
Paul  free,  or  to  find  him  guilty;  in  which  latter  case 
Paul  could  at  a  Roman  citizen  appeal  to  the  emperor. 
But  Felix  did  neither.  He  held  off,  hoping  that  Paul 
or  his  friends  might  offer  him  a  substantial  bribe;  for 
to  Felix  money  was  everything. 

Some  days  after  the  Jews  had  gone  home  without 
having  accomplished  their  purpose,  Paul  was  again  sum- 
moned before  Felix.  The  governor  had  told  his  wife 
Drusilla,  to  whom  he  was  not,  however,  lawfully  mar- 
ried, about  the  new  prisoner,  and  she  was  curious  to 
see  him.  She  may  have  heard  of  him  before.  Paul 
knew  the  history  and  character  of  these  people,  and  was 
thus  able  to  touch  the  tender  spot.  He  had  no  desire 
to  flatter  them,  but  wished  to  speak  to  their  conscience ; 
so  he  reasoned  of  righteousness  and  self-control  and  the 
judgment  to  come.  And  that  his  words  went  home 
is  evident  from  that  which  Felix  said:  "Go  thy  way 
for  this  time;  and  when  I  have  a  convenient  season.  I 
will  call  thee  unto  me." 

Later  on  Paul  was  several  times  summoned  to  ap- 
pear before  Felix,  who  gave  him  to  understand  that, 
some  money  would  procure  him  the  liberty  which  he  so 
much  desired.  But  the  apostle  would  listen  to  no  such 
proposition ;  and  so  Felix  determined  at  least  to  win 
the  favor  of  the  Jews  by  keeping  Paul  as  a  prisoner. 

In  this  way  several  months  went  by,  with  nothing  to 
indicate  that  the  case  against  Paul  would  ever  be  dis- 
posed of ;  and  in  the  meantime  he  was  kept  in  enforced, 
idleness,  while  his  whole  soul  cried  out  for  a  chance  to 
work.  But  he  was  compelled  to  practise  patience.  Nat- 
urally, it  must  have  been  a  great  comfort  to  him  that  his 
friends   and    companions   were    permitted   to    visit   him 


133 

without  hindrance ;  and  there  is  no  doubt  that  the 
apostle  at  this  time  also  was  sending  messengers  and 
keeping  in  touch  with  his  Congregations. 

While  Paul  was  thus  kept  inside  of  the  prison  walls 
there  were  stirring  times  in  Judaea.  The  feeling  of 
bitterness  against  the  misrule  of  Felix  and  against  Ro- 
man tyranny  grew  all  the  time  stronger,  and  often  went 
beyond  control.  In  Jerusalem  sheer  anarchy  prevailed 
at  times,  and  there  had  been  pitched  battles  between 
the  Roman  soldiers  and  the  Jewish  rioters  on  the  streets 
of  Jerusalem.  Even  in  Caesarea  the  apostle  could  from 
the  windows  of  his  prison  hear  the  tumult  on  the  streets. 
To  revenge  himself  Felix  caused  the  homes  of  many 
rich  Jews  to  be  robbed ;  thus  securing  some  more  of  that 
gold  which  he  loved  so  well. 

But  in  this  way  Felix  brought  about  his  own  down- 
fall. For  these  rich  Jews  had  influential  connections  at 
the  imperial  court;  and  the  result  was  that  Felix  was 
ousted  from  the  governorship,  and  ordered  to  Rome, 
and  called  strictly  to  account;  and  Porcius  Festus,  a 
good  and  upright  man,  was  appointed  his  successor. 
This  was  in  the  year  60. 

Shortly  after  taking  over  his  new  office,  Festus  w^ent 
up  to  Jerusalem;  and  the  Jewish  sanhedrin  thought  that 
this  would  be  an  opportune  time  for  again  securing 
possession  of  the  apostle.  They  would  demand  of  the 
new  governor  that  he  send  Paul  to  Jerusalem,  that  he 
might  be  brought  to  trial  before  them ;  and  then  they 
hoped  that  a  new  attack  on  him  would  prove  more  suc- 
cessful than  the  first  effort,  which  had  been  such  an 
ignoble  failure.  However,  Festus  seems  to  have  seen 
through  their  plans ;  and  he  told  them  that  if  they  had 
any  charges  to  make  against  Paul  they  must  come  to 
Caesarea. 

This  they  did ;  and  the  apostle  was  again  put  on  trial, 
but  this  time  before  a  judge  of  a  different  character. 


134 

The  Jews  reiterated  their  former  charges,  but  without 
any  sort  of  proof;  and  the  apostle  pointed  out  how  ut- 
terly unfounded  all  the  three  counts  of  the  complaint 
were.  He  had  done  no  wrong  against  the  Jewish  law, 
nor  against  the  temple,  nor  against  the  emperor. 

For  political  reasons  Festus  would  like  to  please  the 
delegation  from  the  sanhedrin;  but  he  was  considerate 
enough  to  ask  the  prisoner  if  he  was  willing  to  go  to 
Jerusalem  and  stand  trial  before  the  Jewish  council. 
But  Paul  knew  the  Jews  and  their  council  too  well  for 
this;  and  when  he  understood  that  he  might  be  deliv- 
ered up  by  Festus  to  the  sanhedrin,  which  had  juris- 
diction in  religious  matters,  he  made  the  declaration 
which  put  an  end  to  any  further  proceedings  against 
him  in  Palestine,  in  that  he  said :  "I  am  standing  before 
Caesar's  judgment-seat,  where  I  ought  to  be  judged. 
To  the  Jews  have  I  done  no  wrong,  as  thou  also  very 
well  knowest.  If  then  I  am  a  wrong-doer,  and  have 
committed  anything  worthy  of  death,  I  refuse  not  to 
die ;  but  if  none  of  those  things  is  true  whereof  these 
accuse  me,  no  man  can  give  me  up  unto  them.  I  appeal 
unto  Caesar." 

Thus  all  the  efforts  of  the  Jews  came  at  once  to 
naught ;  for  it  was  the  privilege  of  a  Roman  citizen, 
no  matter  where  he  might  be,  to  demand  a  trial  before 
the  emperor.  This,  however,  required  the  presence  of 
the  prisoner  in  Rome. 

Before  being  taken  to  Rome  the  apostle  had  a  new 
opportunity  to  testify  in  his  own  behalf.  King  Agrippa 
and  his  wife  Bernice,  who  was  also  hi^  sister,  came 
to  Caesarea  on  a  friendly  visit  to  Festus.  These  royal 
personages  were  treated  with  every  possible  consider- 
ation by  the  governor ;  for  he  knew  that  the  king  of  the 
little  country  to  the  east  of  the  Jordan  was  a  special 
favorite  of  the  emperor  Nero. 

Festus    mentioned    his    notable    prisoner,    and    king 


135 

Agrippa  wished  to  see  him.  "Tomorrow  thou  shalt  hear 
him/'  said  the  polite  Festus. 

So  Festus  arranged  for  a  specially  imposing  trial  to 
be  held  on  the  following  day.  To  make  it  the  more 
splendid  in  honor  of  his  royal  guests  he  ordered  the 
highest  military  and  civil  dignitaries  to  be  present,  and 
the  whole  affair  was  made  as  impressive  as  possible. 
When  everything  was  in  readiness  the  king  and  queen 
appeared  in  their  robes  of  state  and  with  a  numerous 
and  splendid  following  of  courtiers.  The  prisoner  was 
brought  before  them  in  chains;  and  when  he  saw  him- 
self surrounded  by  all  this  pageantry,  he  no  doubt  re- 
membered what  the  Lord  had  said  to  Ananias :  "He  is 
a  chosen  vessel  unto  me,  to  bear  my  name  before  the 
Gentiles  and  kings,  and  the  children  of  Israel."  For 
now  he  stood  before  the  throne  of  a  king. 

When  all  was  ready,  Festus  opened  the  proceedings 
with  a  speech  addressed  to  the  king;  the  speech  of  a 
practised  courtier:  The  prisoner  before  them  was  a 
man  whose  life  the  Jews  demanded.  For  his  own  part 
Festus  had  found  no  fault  in  the  man.  But  since  the 
prisoner  had  appealed  to  Caesar,  he  must  be  sent  to 
Rome,  and  there  must  be  sent  with  him  a  report  from 
Festus.  However,  he  found  it  difficult  to  write  such  a 
report,  since  he  was  not  familiar  with  the  Jewish  faith ; 
and  now  that  King  Agrippa  had  honored  them  with  his 
presence,  Festus  would  respectfully  ask  the  king  to  con- 
duct the  examination,  and  then  it  would  be  an  easy 
matter  to  make  out  the  report  to  the  emperor. 

The  king  turned  to  the  apostle  and  said:  "Thou  art 
permitted  to  speak  for  thyself." 

Paul  then  boldly  stretched  forth  his  manacled  hand 
and  began  to  speak.  He  addressed  the  king,  saying 
that  he  was  glad  to  defend  himself  before  a  man  who 
was  able  to  understand  him,  and  he  begged  the  king  to 
hear  him  patiently.     Then  he  outlined  his  life  from  his 


136 

youth,  and  explained  how  he  had  been  trained  in  ■  the 
principles  of  the  Pharisees,  and  held  their  views.  He 
told  how  he  had  persecuted  the  Christians,  and  how  he 
had  been  converted;  and  also  how  he  had  been  called 
of  the  Lord  to  go  out  with  the  Good  News  that  the 
hope  of  Israel  was  fulfilled  in  Christ,  who  suffered  and 
died,  and  rose  again. — As  he  proceeded  with  his  speech 
the  apostle  became  more  warm.  Festus,  the  proud  Ro- 
man, could  not  understand  that  there  was  any  good 
reason  for  such  enthusiasm,  and  he  interrupted  Paul: 
''Thou  art  mad ;  thy  much  learning  is  turning  thee  mad." 
But  Paul  replied:  "I  am  not  mad,  most  excellent  Fes- 
tus; but  speak  forth  words  of  truth  and  soberness." 
And  he  turned  from  the  Roman  to  the  Jew  Agrippa, 
and  asked  him  to  say  that  he  also  believed  the  promises 
of  the  Jewish  prophets.  But  Agrippa  made  the  diplo- 
matic reply :  "With  but  little  persuasion  thou  wouldst 
fain  make  me  a  Christian" ;  to  which  Paul  made  the 
fine  rejoinder:  "I  would  to  God,  that  whether  with 
little  or  with  much,  not  thou  only,  but  also  all  that  hear 
me  this  day,  might  become  such  as  I  am,  except  these 
bonds." 

The  king  stood  up  to  indicate  that  the  examination 
was  at  an  end;  and  the  apostle  was  taken  back  to  his 
prison.  In  the  discussion  which  followed  all  declared 
the  apostle  innocent ;  and  Agrippa  gave  as  his  opinion 
that  the  prisoner  should  have  been  set  free  had  he  not 
appealed  his  case  to  the  emperor. 


137 


X,    The  Martyr. 

"I  have  fought  the  good  tight  .  .  .  and  the  Lord  imll  de- 
liver me  from  every  evil  work,  and  will  save  me  unto  His 
heavenly  Kingdom;  to  whom  be  the  glory  for  ever  and 
ever.    Amen"  (2  Tim.  4:7,  18). 

The  apostle  had  appealed  to  Caesar  and  must  there- 
fore be  sent  to  Rome.  It  was  now  near  the  setting  in 
of  winter;  but  as  a  number  of  prisoners  were  still  to  be 
sent  to  Rome,  it  was  decided  to  send  Paul  also.  He 
had  all  the  time  been  treated  with  every  courtesy  by 
the  Roman  officials ;  and  thus  they  now  also  gave  him 
permission  to  take  Luke  and  Aristarchus  with  him,  in 
order  that  these  men  might  serve  and  comfort  him. 
The  centurion  to  whom  the  prisoners  were  given  in 
charge  knew,  of  course,  from  the  report  sent  by  him, 
that  Paul  had  been  found  not  guilty,  and  was  not  in  any 
sense  a  criminal.  Therefore  the  centurion  treated  Paul 
with  kindness  and  allowed  him  all  the  liberty  which  the 
circumstances  would  permit. 

It  was  in  the  autumn  of  the  year  61  that  Paul  with 
the  other  prisoners  went  on  board  a  little  vessel  in  the 
coastwise  trade.  They  had  not  sailed  far  before  they 
discovered  that  this  was  an  unfortunate  season  for  a 
voyage.  The  weather  was  contrary;  and  they  were 
compelled  to  beat  against  the  wind,  and  they  made  but 
little  headway.  At  last,  however,  they  succeeded  m 
reaching  the  port  of  Myra  in  Lycia,  on  the  south  coast 
of  Asia  Minor.  Here  they  were  transferred  to  another 
ship,  as  the  little  coast  trader  could  not  put  out  to  sea 
in  these  dangerous  waters  so  late  in  the  season.  The 
centurion  was  so  fortunate  as  to  find  here  a  large 
freighter  carrying  corn  from  Egypt  to  Italy.  These 
freighters  were  of  good  size  and  sturdy  build,  and  well 
able  to  weather  a  storm. 


138 

The  voyage  was  then  continued.  Had  the  wind  been 
favorable  the  voyage  might  have  been  made  in  a  week; 
but  luck  was  against  them.  So  the  master  of  the  ship  de- 
termined to  set  his  course  out  into  the  open  sea  south 
of  the  island  of  Crete,  where  there  would  be  some  pro- 
tection against  the  storms  from  the  northwest.  But  the 
wind  remained  contrary,  and  progress  was  very  slow, 
and  the  voyage  became  all  the  time  more  dangerous ;  the 
time  of  the  winter  hurricanes  was  at  hand.  When 
the  ship  reached  a  place  called  Fair  Havens,  Paul  urged 
the  men  in  command  to  put  up  there  for  the  winter; 
for  he  knew  how  dangerous  these  waters  were  at  this 
season  of  the  year.  He  had  three  times  been  ship- 
wrecked off  the  coasts  of  Asia  Minor  and  Greece ;  and 
on  one  occasion  he  had  drifted  about  on  a  piece  of 
wreckage  for  a  whole  day  before  being  picked  up.  So 
he  knew  something  of  suffering  at  sea.  But  none  would 
now  listen  to  his  wise  counsel.  Fair  Havens  was  not  a 
safe  place  in  which  to  winter;  it  was  too  exposed.  They 
wanted  if  possible  to  reach  Phoenix,  a  haven  of  Crete, 
where  they  could  hope  to  winter  more  safely. 

To  begin  with,  all  went  well.  There  was  a  fair  wind, 
but  it  soon  veered  from  the  south  to  the  northwest  and 
became  a  hurricane,  and  the  ship  was  tossed  about  like 
a  mere  plaything  of  the  waves.  The  sailors  tried  to 
hold  it  up  against  the  wind,  but  it  refused  to  obey  the 
rudder.  They  were  compelled  to  let  it  drift,  and  the 
storm  carried  them  close  up  under  the  little  island 
Clauda.  They  had  a  lifeboat  in  tow;  and  here  they 
managed  with  incredible  labor  to  lift  it  on  board  and 
save  it  from  being  smashed.  The  storm  raged  with 
unabated  fury,  and  the  ship,  with  its  large  cargo, 
labored  heavily;  and  the  seams  began  to  open,  so  that 
the  sailors  were  afraid  that  it  would  spring  a  leak  and 
go  to  the  bottom.  To  strengthen  the  ship  they  took 
what  cordage  they  had  and  passed  a  strong  rope  under 


139 

the  keel  and  around  the  hull  as  tightly  as  they  could, 
and  made  it  fast.  But  the  storm  increased;  and  soon 
.it  was  impossible  to  carry  any  sail,  and  the  ship  drifted 
helpless  before  the  tempest.  The  next  day  also  the 
storm  raged  as  before,  and  it  was  necessary  to  hghten 
the  ship  by  throwing  the  cargo  overboard.  And  the 
third  day  being  equally  tempestuous,  they  cast  over- 
board all  the  tackling  not  absolutely  necessar>-.  The 
storm  raged  day  after  day,  and  everybody  gave  up 
hope.  There  were  on  board  276  persons;  of  whom  the 
most  part  were  prisoners,  and  these,  not  being  sailors, 
suffered  terribly.  All  were  too  sick  to  eat;  and  at  last 
even  the  sailors  lost  hope. 

Then  one  night  Paul  had  a  vision.  The  angel  of 
God  appeared  to  him  and  said:  "Fear  not,  Paul;  thou 
must  be  brought  before  Caesar;  and,  lo,  God  hath 
given  thee  all  them  that  sail  with  thee."  Paul  did  not 
doubt  that  this  was  a  message  from  God,  and  in  the 
morning  he  tried  to  put  new  courage  into  his  fellow 
voyagers.  And  they  now  believed  him,  having  ex- 
perienced that  on  the  former  occasion  he  had  spoken 
the  truth. 

The  storm  had  lasted  thirteen  days,  and  on  the  four- 
teenth night  they  were  still  drifting  helpless  before  it 
on  the  waters  of  the  Adriatic.  Then  at  midnight  the 
sailors  thought  that  they  must  be  near  land.  So  they 
cast  the  lead  and  found  twenty  fathoms  of  water;  and 
a  little  later  they  sounded  again  and  found  fifteen 
fathoms.  They  knew  then  that  they  were  drifting  fast 
toward  some  shore;  and  to  be  thrown  against  the  rocks 
this  dark  night  would  be  certain  death.  So  they  let 
fall  the  four  anchors,  hoping  to  hold  the  ship  till  morn- 
ing. In  the  early  dawn  the  crew  lowered  the  lifeboat, 
thinking  to  save  themselves.  They  thought  it  abso- 
lutely impossible  in  this  stormy  sea  to  save  the  prison- 
ers.    Paul   saw   what  they  were   about  to  do;   and   he 


140 

told  the  centurion  that  they  would  surely  die  if  they 
took  to  the  boat.  They  no  longer  doubted  the  apostle ; 
and  one  of  the  soldiers  cut  the  rope,  and  the  boat 
drifted  away. 

In  the  morning  Paul  called  together  all  the  people 
on  board  and  told  them  that  their  sufferings  would  soon 
be  over.  The  storm  having  lasted  for  full  two  weeks, 
all  were  in  a  bad  way  from  illness,  and  want  of  sleep, 
and  fear  of  death ;  but  now  they  must  eat,  that  they 
might  have  strength  for  the  work  before  them;  for  all 
lives  were  to  be  saved.  To  give  them  courage  Paul  took 
a  piece  of  bread,  thanked  God,  and  began  to  eat  it  in 
the  sight  of  all.  Then  the  others  also  took  heart  and 
strengthened   themselves   with    food. 

It  was  now  broad  daylight ;  and  they  saw  land  near 
by,  but  did  not  know  where  they  were.  They  had  be- 
fore them  a  bay  which  looked  fairly  promising;  and 
they  decided  that  it  would  be  a  good  place  for  beaching 
the  ship.  That  it  might  be  lifted  as  high  as  possible  up 
on  the  beach  they  lightened  it  by  throwing  out  what  re- 
mained of  the  cargo  and  the  provisions.  They  took  up 
the  anchors  and  hoisted  the  mainsail,  and  made  through 
the  breakers  for  the  shore ;  and  before  long  the  ship 
was  run  aground.  The  prow  rested  on  a  sandbank, 
while  the  stern  was  out  on  the  water;  and  soon  the  ship 
parted  in  the  middle.  All  the  men  were  on  the  fore- 
part ;  and  the  soldiers  wanted  to  kill  the  prisoners  as  the 
surest  way  of  preventing  their  escape.  But  the  cen- 
turion, who  wished  to  save  the  life  of  Paul,  forbade 
this,  and  ordered  all  that  could  swim  to  jump  first  into 
the  sea  and  get  to  land.  The  others  saved  themselves 
on  pieces  of  wreckage,  and  not  a  life  was  lost. 

It  was  then  learnt  that  they  were  stranded  on  the 
island  of  Melita,  or  Malta.  The  islanders  came  in 
great  numbers  to  the  scene  of  the  wreck;  and  though 
they  were  barbarians  they  showed  the  strangers   every 


141 

kindness,  and  kindled  a  fire  and  made  them  as  com- 
fortable as  their  exhausted  condition  and  the  rain  and 
cold  would  allow.  Here  the  shipwrecked  voyagers  re- 
mained for  three  months,  from  November  of  the  year 
61  till  the  following  February;  and  the  apostle,  of 
course,  employed  his  time  in  preaching  the  Gospel.  He 
also  performed  some  miracles,  which  created  a  great 
sensation  and  caused  the  natives  to  regard  him  as  a 
messenger   from   God. 

Of  course,  as  soon  as  the  weather  allowed,  the 
prisoners  must  be  rounded  up  again  and  taken  to  Rome. 
They  took  passage  in  an  Alexandrian  ship  called  the 
''Castor  and  Pollux,"  which  had  wintered  in  Malta ; 
and  after  a  few  days  of  good  sailing  they  were  landed 
at  Puteoli  in  Italy. 

So  now  the  apostle  was  in  the  country  which  he  had 
so  long  wished  to  be  able  to  visit.  He  was  not  a  free 
man,  however,  but  a  prisoner  of  the  Roman  govern- 
ment. In  Puteoli  there  was  already  a  Christian  Church ; 
and  the  brethren  were  made  happy  by  learning  that 
Paul  was  among  them.  The  centurion  gave  the  apostle 
leave  to  go  wherever  he  liked ;  and  Paul  therefore 
lodged  with  members  of  the  Congregation,  and  re- 
mained a  week  to  strengthen  their  faith  and  gladden 
their  hearts.  In  Puteoli  he  received  his  first  impression 
of  the  mighty  city  of  Rome.  For  Puteoli,  washed  by 
the  fresh  waters  of  the  beautiful  bay  of  Naples,  was 
the  favorite  summer  resort  of  Rome's  fashionable 
world,  the  Newport  of  Rome,  as  it  were.  Here  the  Ro- 
man leaders  of  fashion  displayed  all  the  luxury  which 
fabulous  wealth  can  buy,  and  vied  with  one  another  in 
lavish  entertainments.  On  the  shore  were  many  beauti- 
ful villas,  occupied  during  the  summer  by  the  emperor 
and  the  Roman  aristocracy.  In  the  harbor  were  many 
shi]:>s,  from  all  parts  of  the  Mediterranean,  and  even 
from  distant  Brittany;  and  here  the  great  Roman  fleet 


142 

of  warships  lay  at  anchor.  It  is  the  most  charming 
place  in  Italy;  and  even  today  it  is  admired  and  cele- 
brated in  song  by  the  poets  of  all  lands.  Who  has  not 
heard  of  the  beauty  of  Capri  and  Naples? 

After  a  week  in  Puteoli,  Paul  and  his  companions 
took  leave  of  the  brethren;  for  he  with  the  other 
prisoners  must  be  taken  to  Rome.  They  followed  the 
famous  Appian  Way  northward.  When  they  were  but 
two  days'  journey  from  Rome,  and  stopped  over  night 
in  a  certain  notorious  inn  called  Appii  Forum,  Paul  was 
given  a  happy  surprise.  The  Congregation  in  Rome 
had  heard  that  he  was  on  the  way,  and  several  of  the 
brethren  came  this  far  to  meet  him.  And  the  next 
evening  others  came  and  met  him  at  a  place  called  The 
Three  Taverns ;  and  of  course  it  was  a  happy  meeting 
for  both  him  and  them.  Thus  the  prisoner  entered  the 
Eternal  City  with  a  large  retinue;  a  conqueror  in  chains, 
followed  by  a  number  of  lowly  people  who  were  with- 
out honor  among  their  fellows.  But  the  future  was 
theirs,  and  the  victory;  for  they  had  the  faith  which 
could  vanquish  all  things,  even  mighty,  proud  and  god- 
less Rome. 

Never  before  had  Paul  seen  anything  Hke  the  ex- 
travagant luxury  of  Rome.  Here  he  was  at  the  very 
center  of  the  ancient  world.  To  this  place  led  all  the 
threads  holding  together  the  vast  empire,  which  seemed 
to  exist  only  to  support  this  proud  city  on  the  Seven 
Hills.  Streams  of  gold  flowed  into  the  city  from  every 
side;  and  this  wealth  was  again  dissipated  in  a  perfect 
carnival  of  reckless  extravagance,  the  like  of  which  the 
world  has  not  seen.  Eating  and  drinking  and  amuse- 
ments were  in  Rome  the  real  business  of  life;  and  in 
these  things  no  other  place  on  earth  had  so  much  to 
offer.  Foremost  among  all  these  votaries  of  pleasure 
was  the  unspeakable  ruffian,  the  emperor  Nero.  None 
could  vie   with  him  in   vanity,   luxury,   foul   indecency. 


143 

and  cruelty,  though  the  others  followed  as  closely  at 
his  heels  as  they  could.  Faith  in  the  old  gods  was  a 
thing  of  the  past.  To  be  sure,  there  were  many  temples 
and  statues;  but  they  were  only  relics  of  a  faith  which 
had  been.  It  had  been  replaced  by  sorcery,  astrology 
and  the  like;  and  there  were  certain  secret  societies  in 
which  some  of  the  gods  of  the  East  were  worshiped. 
The  old,  strict  Roman  ideas  of  morality  had  long  been 
relegated  to  the  rear.  A  man  of  moral  life  was  an 
object  of  curiosity  and  suspicion;  that  is  to  say,  if  he 
were  important  enough  to  be  noticed  at  all.  And  every 
house  was  familiar  with  the  poisoned  cup  and  the 
dagger  of  the  assassin. 

At  the  prefecture  in  Rome  the  centurion  delivered 
his  prisoners  to  the  captain  of  the  guard,  a  good  and 
honest  man  named  Burrus.  When  this  man  had  read 
the  report  and  heard  the  centurion's  account,  he  gave 
Paul  permission  to  go  where  he  liked,  only  he  must 
have  one  of  the  soldiers  with  him.  The  Christian 
brethren  then  provided  a  decent  lodging  for  the  apostle 
in  a  house  near  by. 

Rome  had  a  greater  number  of  Jews  than  any  other 
place  in  the  Empire  outside  of  Palestine.  It  is  said  that 
there  were  at  this  time  no  less  than  50,000  Jews  in  the 
city.  Some  years  before  this  they  had  been  expelled  by 
the  emperor  Claudius,  but  had  now  been  allowed  to 
come  back.  But  they  were  hated  and  despised  by  all 
men.  Their  penuriousness,  their  filthy  habits,  and  their 
jealous  adherence  to  everything  Jewish  had  made  them 
objects  of  disgust  to  all.  So  they  were  not  permitted 
to  live  in  any  place  they  might  select,  but  were  kept 
segregated  in  their  own  quarter  of  the  city. 

Paul  was  always  zealous  first  of  all  for  the  salvation 
of  his  own  unhappy  people.  After  three  days  in  Rome 
he  summoned  to  him  some  of  the  most  influential  Jews, 
and  explained  to  them  how  it  happened  that  he  was  a 


144 

prisoner;  and  he  told  them  that  he  wished  to  ^speak  to 
the  Jews  about  the  Hope  of  Israel.  They  consented  to 
hear  him,  and  fixed  a  day  on  which  the  Jews  were  to 
come  together  in  his  house. 

On  the  day  appointed  many  came,  and  the  apostle 
explained  to  them  the  Law  and  the  prophets.  He  spoke 
from  morning  till  night,  and  made  a  deep  impression 
on  many.  But  still  more  of  them  were  offended,  and 
turned  from  him ;  so  that  the  apostle  here  also  exper- 
ienced the  truth  of  the  words  of  Isaiah  the  prophet. 
And  he  took  leave  of  the  Jews  with  these  same  words : 
"Hearing  ye  shall  hear,  and  shall  not  understand:  and 
seeing  ye  shall  see,  and  not  perceive.  For  the  heart  of 
this  people  is  waxed  gross,  and  their  ears  are  dull  of 
hearing,  and  their  eyes  have  they  closed;  lest  they 
should  see  with  their  eyes,  and  hear  with  their  ears, 
and  understand  with  their  heart,  and  should  be  con- 
verted, and  I  should  heal  them.  Be  it  known  therefore 
unto  you,  that  the  salvation  of  God  is  sent  unto  the 
Gentiles,  and  that  they  will  hear  it." 

And  so  there  was  an  end  of  this  brief  friendship. 

As  already  mentioned,  the  Christians  in  Rome  had 
a  Congregation  of  their  ow^n  several  years  before  Paul 
visited  them.  He  was  in  Corinth  when  he  wrote  his 
Epistle  to  them.  The  little  minority  of  Jewish  Chris- 
tians rather  resented  the  break  between  Paul  and  the 
Jews,  and  treated  him  with  some  coolness;  but  he  was 
kindly  disposed  toward  them  and  did  not  turn  them  away. 
For  at  any  rate,  they  preached  the  Gospel  of  Christ. 
But  it  seems  that  certain  Judaists,  also,  had  found  their 
way  to  Rome;  and  at  the  thought  of  them  the  apostle 
grows  bitter  and  says,  as  in  the  letter  to  the  Philip- 
pians :  "Beware  of  dogs,  and  of  evil  workers.  For 
some  preach  Christ  even  of  envy  and  strife,  not  cin- 
cerely;  supposing  to  add  affliction  to  my  bonds." 

But  he  had  the  more  joy  in  the  Gentile  Christians, 


145 

who  did  everything  possible  to  serve  the  imprisoned 
apostle  of  the  Lord.  They  knew  that,  he  was  suffering" 
this  indignity  for  Christ's  sake.  —  In  the  meantime 
Aquila  and  Priscilla  also  had  come  to  Rome  from 
Ephesus;  and  it  must  have  been  a  joyful  event,  when 
they  and  the  apostle  now  met  again  and  talked  about 
their  experiences  in  Ephesus  and  in  Corinth,  where 
this  worthy  man  and  his  good  wife  had  been  won  for 
the  Gospel  by  the  preaching  of  the  apostle. 

In  the  camp  of  the  Pretorian  guard,  also,  the  apostle 
became  a  familiar  figure.  The  soldier  constantly  guard- 
ing him  was  shifted,  of  course,  from  day  to  day;  so  he 
came  to  know  many  of  these  so-called  Pretorian  guards. 
When  the  apostle  and  these  men  were  walking  together, 
or  resting,  during  these  many  weeks  and  months,  the 
apostle  talked  to  them  of  the  one  thing  needful;  and 
they  came  to  know  him  and  love  him,  and  many  of 
them  became  Christians.  Even  servants  and  slaves 
from  the  imperial  palace  visited  him  and  received  in- 
struction. In  this  way  the  Congregation  rapidly  grew 
in  numbers.  Everywhere  in  the  city  people  began  to 
feel  that  a  new  religion  was  gaining  foothold,  and  that 
it  was  able  to  accomplish  what  no  other  religion  could. 
The  people  who  came  under  its  influence  seemed  to  be 
transformed.  They  ceased  to  lie  and  swear  and  steal 
and  follow  the  lusts  of  the  flesh,  and  became  charitable 
and  truthful,  clean  and  honest. 

The  apostle  was,  of  course,  badly  handicapped  by 
being  a  prisoner.  How  much  more  could  he  not  have 
done,  had  he  been  allowed  the  full  liberty  which  was 
his  by  right !  No  doubt  he  had  many  a  dark  hour. 
While  he  was  thus  waiting  to  have  his  case  finally  dis- 
posed of,  there  happened  something  which  made  his 
heart  swell  with  joy.  The  beloved  brethren  of  his 
Church  in  Philippi  had  heard  that  the  apostle  was  in 
Rome,  and  that  he  had  suffered  much   since  last  they 


146 

saw  him;  so  now  they  wanted  to  give  him  a  joyful 
surprise.  They  therefore  collected  some  money,  and 
sent  one  of  the  members  of  the  Church,  a  certain  Epaph- 
roditus,  to  Rome  with  this  money,  and  asked  him  to 
remain  for  a^  time  with  the  apostle  and  comfort  him, 
and  to  bring  him  a  greeting  from  all  the  brethren  in 
Philippi.  We  can  understand  how  happy  Paul  must 
have  been  when  Epaphroditus  came  and  surprised  him 
with  this  present  and  this  message. — How  long  Epaph- 
roditus remained  in  Rome  does  not  appear  from  the 
record.  But  when  he  had  been  there  for  a  time  he  was 
taken  very  sick  and  was  near  death.  As  he  began  to 
regain  strength  he,  naturally,  wished  to  go  to  his  home ; 
to  which  Paul,  of  course,  assented.  Paul  then  gave  him 
a  letter  to  the  Congregation  in  Philippi,  and  it  is  one 
of  the  most  beautiful  and  tender  letters  ever  written. 
The  apostle  opens  his  whole  rich  and  warm  heart  to 
his  beloved  brethren,  his  "joy  and  crown/'  as  he  calls 
them.  He  tells  them  his  troubles  and  hopes,  and  at 
the  same  time  he  gives  them  wise  counsel.  In  spite  of 
his  many  afflictions  he  is  happy;  for  he  sees  how  the 
Gospel  is  winning  victory  after  victory.  His  heart  re- 
joices when  he  thinks  of  his  Lord  and  Savior,  who  so 
deeply  hunbled  Himself,  and  was  so  highly  exalted; 
and  full  of  joy  he  looks  forward  to  the  glorious  time 
when  every  knee  shall  be  bowed,  those  in  heaven,  and 
on  earth,  and  under  the  earth,  and  every  tongue  shall 
confess  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ,  to  the  glory  of  God 
the  Father.  Therefore  he,  the  apostle,  has  all  that  he 
needs  in  life  and  death.  *'For  to  me  to  live  is  Christ, 
and  to  die  is  gain."  He  does  not  deny  that  he  desires  to 
die  and  be  with  Christ;  for  this  were  far  better,  he 
says.  But  since  it  is  needful  for  the  others,  he  is  will- 
ing to  live. — The  apostle  had  learnt  to  say  with  devout 
humility :    Thy  will  be  done. 

For  two  long  years  Paul  was  a  prisoner.     And  he 


147 

had  other  troubles.  Dark  clouds  appeared  in  the  east^ 
and  the  storm  broke,  and  threatened  utterly  to  destroy 
the  Churches  in  Asia  Minor.  The  Lord  did  not  let  his 
faithful  servant  live  to  see  this  calamity.  But  before 
Paul  went  to  his  tomb  he  did  see  the  first  signs  of  the 
coming  storm;  and  it  could  not  escape  his  keen  intel- 
lect that  his  Churches  would  soon  be  face  to  face  with  a 
great  danger.  This  new  and  most  serious  danger  which 
the  Church  has  met  was  what  is  known  as  Gnosticism. 
The  first  and  second  centuries  of  our  Christian  era 
were  the  golden  age  of  religious  syncretism,  something 
like  our  own  times.  People  had  discarded  their  faith 
in  the  old  gods,  and  were  trying  to  get  at  the  truth 
through  a  philosophical  treatment  of  the  several  re- 
ligious forms.  Many  efforts  had  been  made  along  that 
line.  In  Alexandria  there  was  a  school  trying  to  work 
out  some  sort  of  mixture  of  the  Jewish  faith  and  the 
Greek  philosophy.  Asia  Minor  was  a  good  field  for 
this  kind  of  endeavor.  Here  were  many  different  races, 
each  with  its  own  system  of  religion ;  and  there  had 
been  many  keen  minds  engaged  in  all  sorts  of  phil- 
osophical cults.  Then  came  the  Christian  religion  as 
preached  by  Paul,  sweeping  everything  before  it. 
Thousands  became  converts  to  Christianity.  The 
preaching  of  Paul  appealed  especially  to  the  Gentiles; 
for  he  told  them  of  a  God  who  loved  all,  and  who  had 
salvation  for  all  without  distinction  of  persons.  Judaism 
had  made  spasmodic  attempts  to  force  this  new  religion 
into  the  Jewish  forms.  The  Judaists  had  made  their 
bitter  assaults  on  the  Pauline  Churches ;  but  in  the 
Gentile-Christian  Congregations  these  assaults  had  been 
repulsed  for  good  and  all  by  Paul's  powerful  preaching. 
It  was  not  easy  for  the  Judaists  to  gain  any  foothold 
in  Congregations  founded  by  Paul ;  the  Greeks  could 
hardly  be  persuaded  to  become  Jews  through  circum- 
cision and  the   pledge   to   observe  the   precepts   of   the 


148 

Jewish  Law.  The  one  great  danger  which  threatened 
the  very  existence  of  the  Christian  Church,  was  the  at- 
tempt to  form  a  mixture  of  Christian  faith  and  Greek 
philosophy.  Judaism  would  have  choked  the  Christian 
Church  by  forcing  it  into  narrow  Jewish  forms ;  Gnos- 
ticism would  have  thinned  it  out  by  mixing  it  with 
vague  speculations.     Either  would  have  destroyed  it. 

This  last-named  cult,  which  toward  the  end  of  Paul's 
life  began  to  lift  its  head,  assumed  many  different  char- 
acters. In  Ephesus  and  the  other  places  in  the  western 
part  of  Asia  Minor  it  pretended  to  be  an  eft'ort  toward 
a  more  practical  form  of  religion,  while  in  Colossae  and 
other  parts  of  the  interior  it  was  more  of  a  philosophic 
theory.  The  Greeks  were  in  general  prone  to  cultivate 
hazy  speculations,  and  so  there  was  great  danger  that 
they  might  underestimate  and  weaken  the  highest  and 
best  in  the  new  Christian  faith ;  and  that  they  might 
confuse  it  with  their  former  religious  thoughts  and 
forms,  and  allow  their  imaginations  to  run  riot,  thus 
building  up  some  wonderful  theories  of  life,  and  giving 
a  free  rein  to  their  lusts. 

While  Paul  was  in  prison  he  heard  of  the  trouble 
brewing  in  his  eastern  Churches,  and  decided  to  send 
them  a  warning.  It  was  as  yet  a  somewhat  vague  dan- 
ger, but  must  be  promptly  met.  The  apostle  therefore 
sent  out  a  circular  letter,  which  he  addressed  to  the 
Church  in  Ephesus,  and  also  a  letter  to  the  Colossians. 

In  Ephesus  and  environs  the  people  seem  to  have 
found  it  easy  to  believe  anything  which  came  to  them 
clothed  with  an  air  of  secrecy.  Heathen  occultism 
flourished  among  them ;  and  all  sorts  of  mysteries  which 
were  mere  nonsense,  but  had  put  on  some  kind  of  philo- 
sophic garb,  were  regarded  as  wonderful  wisdom,  and 
as  showing  deep  thought.  And  this  wisdom  was  the 
more  attractive,  because  its  votaries  strongly  empha- 
sized   the    freedom   of   the   spirit    as    against   the    flesh. 


149 

Their  souls  dwelt  high  in  the  ethereal  realms ;  and  so 
the  flesh  was  of  no  importance,  and  might  be  left  to  do 
as  it  liked. 

As  against  this  sham  wisdom,  which  as  yet  was  in 
its  tender  infancy,  the  apostle  points  out  that  he  also 
knew  of  a  secret  wisdom,  which  from  the  beginning  of 
the  world  had  been  hid  in  God.  And  God  had  now 
through  him  revealed  this  wisdom  to  the  Ephesians,  that 
they  might  understand  this  divine  mystery,  which  is 
Christ.  And  the  apostle  had  taught  them  the  wisdom 
of  God,  His  eternal  plan  of  salvation,  fulfilled  in  Christ 
Jesus  our  Lord.  To  know  this  wisdom,  and  to  be  in- 
itiated into  this  mystery,  is  life's  greatest  happiness; 
and  to  this  they  were  chosen  of  God,  who  had  given 
them  His  Word  of  truth  and  His  Spirit,  that  the  eyes 
of  their  understanding  might  be  opened,  "that  ye  may 
know  what  is  the  hope  of  His  calling,  and  what  the 
riches  of  the  glory  of  His  inheritance  in  the  saints." 
They  must  look  on  life  by  the  light  of  these  Christian 
truths.  And  they  must  lead  it  in  accord  with  God's 
Word,  which  will  enable  them  to  live  a  holy  life,  and 
confirm  them  in  the  truth ;  that  they  may  attain  the 
stature  of  men,  and  no  more  be  children  to  be  carried 
about  with  every  wind  of  doctrine,  by  the  sleight  of 
men  and  cunning  craftiness. — Thus  the  apostle  admon- 
ished his  Congregations  and  urged  them  to  lead  a 
healthy  Christian  life. 

At  about  the  same  time  with  the  letter  to  the  Ephe- 
sians the  apostle  sent  his  letter  to  the  Colossians.  Epa- 
phras  had  come  from  Colossae  and  reported  on  con- 
ditions at  that  place.  Gnosticism  had  there  taken  a 
somewhat  different  shape.  The  Phrygians  were  prone 
to  become  enthusiasts.  Here  the  philosophers  drew  a 
sharp  distinction  between  spirit  and  matter;  and  the 
one  great  thing  was  to  bring  oneself  into  relation 
with  the  higher  powers,  with  the  god  who  was   lifted 


150 

high  above  all  material  things.  In  order  to  rise  to  this 
height  they  presented  a  theory  which  they  had  bor- 
rowed from  the  Christian  doctrine  about  Christ  and  the 
angels;  and  they  gave  this  a  sort  of  philosophical  color 
by  an  admixture  of  Platonic  idealism.  Christ  was  the 
chief  of  angels;  and  all  the  angels  held  an  intermediary 
position  between  God  and  man.  The  important  thing, 
then,  was  in  some  way  to  lay  hold  on  the  sex  beings. 
But  as  matter  was  in  some  sort  a  hindrance,  and  the 
spirit  was  chained  to  the  body,  this  was  to  be  despised 
and  even  subjected  to  torture  (Col.  2:18,23).  They 
had  been  able  to  give  these  doctrines  an  attractive  ap- 
pearance; so  that  many  people  were  seduced,  and  did 
not  understand  how  dangerous  these  doctrines  were 
(Col.  2:4).  And  many  credulous  Christians  regarded 
the  cruelty  which  these  people  practised  against  their 
own  bodies,  as  evidence  of  great  piety. 

Paul  points  out,  also  in  the  letter  to  the  Colossians, 
the  hollowness  of  this  pretended  mystery  of  Gnosticism, 
and  this  super-spirituality;  and  shows  the  Colossians 
how  necessary  it  is  that  they  be  filled  with  a  knowledge 
of  God's  will  in  all  spiritual  wisdom  and  understanding; 
for  only  thus  can  they  walk  worthily  and  be  pleasing  to 
God.  He  also  describes  to  them  how  highly  Christ  is 
exalted  over  all  things  else,  and  how  He  has  reconciled 
all  things  with  God  by  the  blood  of  the  cross.  Thfe 
riches  of  the  glory  of  this  mystery,  which  is  "Christ  in 
you,  the  Hope  of  glory,"  this  it  is  which  Paul  has 
preached,  and  this  they  must  hold  fast  always ;  then 
they  will  be  strong  to  resist  every  temptation. 

With  these  two  letters,  to  the  Ephesians  and  to  the 
Colossians,  there  was  sent  another  brief  letter,  the 
Epistle  of  Paul  to  Philemon.  This  letter  was  occasioned 
by  the  circumstance  that  a  slave  named  Onesimus  had 
run  away  from  his  master,  Philemon,  one  of  the  Colos- 
sian  Christians.     The  slave  had  been  guilty  of  some  in- 


151 

discretion;  he  dreaded  punishment,  and  had  therefore 
run  away,  and  made  his  way  to  Rome.  There  he  had 
fallen  in  with  Paul  and  had  been  converted,  and  he  be- 
came very  dear  to  the  apostle.  Now  Tychicus  was  to 
go  to  Colossae;  and  Paul  thought  it  best  that  Onesimus 
go  with  him.  So  he  gave  Onesimus  a  letter  to  his  mas- 
ter, asking  this  man  to  receive  his  slave  with  kindness. 
This  remarkable  little  letter,  which  has  excited  the  deep 
admiration  even  of  infidels,  shows  us  the  apostle's  char- 
acter from  a  new  angle.  He,  who  fought  so  valiantl}^ 
against  heresy  and  all  manner  of  wickedness,  was  at  the 
§ame  time  possessed  of  the  finest  tact,  and  even  showed 
a  delicate  sense  of  humor  (Verses  18  and  19).  It  is  a 
most   kind   heart   which   speaks   through   this   letter   to 

Philemon. 

*  *  * 

We  have  now  followed  the  great  Apostle  of  the 
Gentiles  from  the  days  of  his  youth  to  the  time  when  he 
was  a  prisoner  in  Rome,  and  was  waiting  to  have  a 
final  decision  in  the  case  against  him.  We  have  reached 
the  beginning  of  the  year  64.  Here  ends  the  story  as 
told  in  the  Acts;  and  all  that  we  know  of  Paul's  later 
history  is  what  we  may  piece  together  from  stray  al- 
lusions in  the  letters  to  Timothy  and  Titus.  Now,  here 
in  these  letters  are  certain  difiiculties,  to  clear  away 
w^hich,  in  detail,  is  not  within  the  scope  of  our  purpose. 

One  of  these  letters,  which,  in  common  with  most 
other  commentators,  we  regard  as  having  been  written 
after  the  burning  of  Rome,  we  are  able  to  outline 
briefly  the  last  years  of  the  apostle's  life.  In  the  spring 
of  the  year  64  he  was  at  last  brought  to  trial;  and 
owing  to  the  favorable  report  which  he  had  brought 
w'ith  him,  and  to  the  good  character  given  him  by  the 
Roman  prefect  of  police,  he  was  ordered  discharged. — 
He  was  now  getting  on  in  years — he  must  have  been  in 
the  sixties.     His  health  had  never  been  robust,  and  he 


152 

had  suffered  much  hardship ;  so  he  well  knew  that  now 
his  day  was  drawing  to  a  close.  However,  he  had  not 
as  yet  visited  Spain — which  had  been  one  of  his  am^ 
bitions.  And  he  much  desired  to  visit  once  more  some 
of  his  Congregations,  before  the  Lord  should  call  him 
to  his  long  rest.  We  learn  that  he  did  visit  Crete, 
where  he  left  Titus  behind  (Titus  1:5),  and  also  the 
Church  in  Philippi  (1  Tim.  1:3)  and  those  in  Greece 
(2  Tim.  4:20),  and  remained  through  the  winter  at  Ni- 
copoUs  in  Epirus.  From  this  place  he  wrot<=:  his  first 
letter  to  Timothy  and  the  letter  to  Titus.  Paul  had 
sent  Timothy  to  the  assistance  of  the  Ephesians  in  their 
difficulties ;  and  now  he  wrote  to  him  to  encourage  and 
advise  him  in  the  fight  against  the  Gnostics.  These 
pseudo-philosophers — literally,  the  name  Gnostic  means 
one  who  knows — pretended  by  a  mixture  of  Greek 
idealism  and  Eastern  mysticism  to  answer  the  ques- 
tions :  Whence  is  evil,  and  why  ?  Whence  is  man,  and 
how? — To  Titus  the  apostle  wrote  in  order  to  give  him 
practical  counsel  with  respect  to  the  tour  of  inspection 
which  Titus  was  making  through  the  Congregations  for 
the  purpose  of  establishing  good  order.  When  spring- 
came  Paul  again  started  out  on  his  travels.  He  visited 
Troas  and  Ephesus,  which  places  he  had  not  expected 
ta  see  again;  and  from  there  he  went  to  Miletus,  where 
his  companion  Trophinus  was  taken  sick  and  left  be- 
hind; and  then  Paul  came  to  Corinth.  From  this  city 
he  took  ship  to  Spain;  from  which  country  he  returned 
to  Rome,  probably  in  the  year  66. 

During  the  absence  of  the  apostle  the  Church  in 
Rome  had  seen  much  trouble.  Shortly  after  his  dis- 
charge from  prison  the  city  had  a  disastrous  fire.  This 
was  on  July  19,  64.  The  fire  started  in  some  hovels 
near  the  Circus,  and  a  strong  wind  caused  it  to  spread 
rapidly,  until  many  blocks  of  buildings  were  enveloped 
in  fierce  flame^. 


153 

The  people  were  stricken  with  wild  fear.  They  fled 
in  all  directions.  The  fire  raged  fiercely  on  every  hand : 
and  people  claimed  to  have  seen  persons  throwing  fire- 
brands into  the  houses,  and  many  of  these  persons  were 
known  as  belonging  to  the  household  brigade  of  the 
emperor  Nero.  The  fire  lasted  several  days,  and  con- 
sumed the  cottages  of  the  poor,  the  palaces  of  the  rich, 
temples  and  public  buildings.  Property  of  enormous 
value  and  many  priceless  works  of  art  were  destroyed. 
Not  -till  the  seventh  day  was  the  fire  under  control,  and 
then  hardly  a  fourth  of  the  great  city  remained  intact. 
The  rest  was  smoking  ruins,  from  which  fires  still  flared 
up  fiercely  from  time  to  time.  Many  hundred  thousand 
people  were  homeless. 

The  governor  hastily  erected  a  large  number  of  great 
barracks ;  but  these  could  not  shelter  all  the  homeless 
people.  Popular  feeling  was  extremely  bitter.  All 
knew  that  the  fire  had  been  purposely  started  and  fed ; 
and  the  people  were  beside  themselves  with  anger  when 
it  was  reported  that  the  emperor  himself  had  stood  on 
the  tower  of  Maecenas,  in  his  garb  of  a  dramatic  actor 
and  with  his  zither  in  his  hand,  enjoying  the  grand  and 
terrible  spectacle,  meanwhile  declaiming  the  poem  on 
the  burning  of  Troy.  People  knew  that  Nero  did  not 
regard  Rome  as  being  beautiful  enough ;  and  that  he 
wanted  the  old  city  swept  away,  in  order  that  a  new  and 
mure  splendid  capital,  such  as  he  had  it  in  mind,  might 
be  built  on  the  ruins. 

The  suspicions  of  the  people  came  to  his  ears :  and 
this  unspeakable  monster,  who,  like  a  contemptible  cow- 
ard, was  always  trembling  for  his  own  life,  conceived  a 
most  abominable  means  of  averting  suspicion  from  him- 
self and  turning  the  public  fury  in  a  new  direction.  It 
was  announced  as  most  probable  that  the  Christians  had 
started  the  fire ;  and  then  the  crazed  populace  turned  on 
the   innocent   Christian   Congregation,   and  its   members 


154 

were  murdered  by  the  score.  Many  suffered  martyrdom 
after  the  most  horrible  torture;  for  Nero  revelled  in 
seeing  their  sufferings  and  death.  Many  were  crucified 
in  Nero's  gardens;  others  were  sewn  into  the  skins  of 
beasts  and  torn  in  pieces  by  bloodhounds.  Still  others 
were  covered  with  warm  pitch,  bound  to  stakes  on  either 
side  of  the  driveways  in  the  emperor's  parks ;  and  when 
night  fell  they  were  set  on  fire;  and  the  emperor  drove 
his  golden  chariot  and  feasted  on  the  sight  of  these 
living  torches  that  writhed  with  pain  till  death  merci- 
fully made  an  end  of  their  unendurable  agony. 

A  cry  of  fear  and  horror  went  up  from  the  whole 
Christian  Church;  for  the  news  of  Nero's  awful  crime 
spread  rapidly  over  the  whole  Empire.  The  Christians 
found  themselves  suddenly  placed  in  the  spotHght;  and 
they  had  a  premonition  as  to  what  awaited  them.  What 
had  been  done  in  Rome  might  be  repeated  anywhere. 
But  the  Christians  also  saw  with  joy  the  steadfastness 
of  the  martyrs.  The  Pauline  Church  had  received  its 
baptism  of  blood. 

We  do  not  know  where  the  apostle  was  when  he 
received  the  news.  But  we  can  imagine  what  he  must 
have  felt  when  he  heard  about  the  persecutions.  No 
doubt  he  wished  that  he  might  have  died  in  the  place 
of  the  brethren;  that  the  hatred  of  the  heathen  might 
have  vented  itself  on  him. 

When  the  apostle,  after  two  years,  returned  to  Rome, 
he  found  great  changes.  A  large  number  of  splendid 
new  buildings  had  been  built,  or  were  being  built,  and 
everywhere  was  feverish  activity.  Of  the  Congregation 
he  found  but  a  small  remnant.  But  among  those  who 
had  been  spared  was  his  beloved  physician  Luke ;  pos- 
sibly, also,  the  apostje  Peter. 

Paul  felt  that  the  end  of  life  could  not  now  be  far 
away.  The  hatred  against  the  Christians  was  still  burn- 
ing fitfully,  and  from  time  to  time  one  or  the  other  of 


155 

those  who  confessed  Christ  paid  the  penalty  with  his 
life.  At  this  time  Paul  wrote  his  last  letter,  2  Timothy. 
He  felt  the  nearness  of  death,  and  wished  that  his  be- 
loved son  might  have  been  with  him  in  his  last  hour. 
Since  this  could  not  be,  he  wished  to  send  Timothy  some 
last  words  of  cheer.  Through  the  whole  letter  runs  an 
under-current  of  gentle  melancholy.  "That  which  we 
here  read,"  says  Calvin,  "of  the  Kingdom  of  Christ, 
the  hope  of  eternal  life,  the  Christian  fight,  the  loyal 
confession  of  the  faith,  the  wise  and  sure  Christian  doc- 
trine; is  not  written  with  ink,  but  with  the  apostle's 
blood." — "Be  not  thou  ashamed  of  the  testimony  of  our 
Lord,  nor  of  me.  His  prisoner;  but  be  thou  partaker  of 
the  afflictions  of  the  Gospel  according  to  the  power  of 
God.  Thou  therefore,  my  son,  be  strong  in  the  grace 
that  is  in  Christ  Jesus.  Endure  thou  hardship  as  a  good 
soldier  of  Jesus  Christ.  All  that  will  live  godly  in 
Christ  Jesus  shall  suflfer  persecution.  For  I  am  now 
ready  to  be  ofifered,  and  the  time  of  my  departure  is  at 
hand." 

Soon  after  this  it  came  about  as  Paul  expected.  One 
day  a  troop  of  Roman  soldiers  took  him  out  on  the  road 
to  Ostia.  His  last  hour  was  come.  Being  a  Roman 
citizen,  he  could  not  be  crucified,  but  must  be  put  to 
death  by  the  sword.  Here  his  head  was  severed  from 
his  body.     This  probably  was  in  the  year  67 . 


Such  was  the  life  and  such  the  death  of  the  great 
Apostle  of  the  Gentiles.  Now  the  Christians  in  Rome 
could  see  that  he  had  meant  what  he  said  when  he  wrote 
to  them  (Romans  8:35-39):  "Who  shall  separate  us 
from  the  love  of  Christ?  Tribulation,  or  distress,  or 
persecution,  or  famine,  or  nakedness,  or  fire,  or  sword? 
As  it  is  written :  'For  Thy  sake  we  are  killed  all  the  day 
long:   we   are   accounted    as    sheep    for   the   slaughter.' 


156 

Nay,  in  all  these  things  we  are  more  than  conquerors 
through  Him  that  loved  us.  For  I  am  persuaded,  that 
neither  death,  nor  life,  nor  angels,  nor  principalities,  nor 
powers,  nor  things  present,  nor  things  to  come,  nor 
height,  nor  depth,  nor  any  other  creature  shall  be  able 
to  separate  us  from  the  love  of  God,  which  is  in  Christ 
Jesus  our  Lord." 

Paul  had  risked  his  life  in  the  war,  and  had  met  a 
soldier's  death.  His  strenuous  career  had  been  one  of 
strife  and  stress,  but  also  of  many  victories.  The  light 
of  the  Gospel  had  been  lit  from  the  far  East  to  the 
farthest  West.  Many  Churches  had  been  founded,  and 
multitudes  of  Christian  believers  assembled  for  worship ; 
and  their  courage  in  times  of  persecution  showed  that 
they  stood  firm  on  the  rock  of  truth.  Thus  Paul's  great 
plan  had  been  gloriously  fulfilled,  and  this  was  the  joy 
and  pride  of  his  life.  But  he  was  not  alive  to  see  the  ful- 
fillment of  his  other  cherished  dream.:  one  united  Chris- 
tian Church,  embracing  all  who  held  the  common  faith. 

The  Jews  had  difficulty  in  following  the  apostle  of 
Christian  liberty;  so  many  looked  upon  his  work  with 
suspicion,  while  others  openly  opposed  him. 

We  have  followed  this  mighty  struggle  in  the  earli- 
est Christian  Church,  and  have  seen  how  the  Judaists 
were  tireless  in  their  efforts  to  choke  the  growth  of  that 
which  the  great  Apostle  of  the  Gentiles  had  planted. 
We  have  found  them  at  their  work  of  destruction  in 
Antioch  and  Jerusalem,  among  the  Churches  of  Galatia, 
in  Corinth,  Ephesus  and  Rome — that  is,  over  Paul's 
whole  mission  field.  Think  of  his  position:  He  trav- 
eled from  one  country  to  another,  from  city  to  city,  full 
of  zeal  for  his  great  work,  overcoming  all  obstacles,  dis- 
regarding every  danger  (see  2  Cor.  11  :  23  and  following 
verses),  with  these  enemies  all  the  time  at  his  heels;  it 
is  easy  enough  to  understand  his  harsh  judgment  of 
them. 


157 

The  situation  in  Jerusalem  during  these  fights  of 
Paul  against  Judaism  is  not  quite  clear.  But  it  seems 
fair  to  assume  that  there  were  in  the  Mother  Church 
two  factions,  one  supporting  the  Judaists  against  Paul, 
and  the  other  embracing  the  remaining  apostles  and 
their  closest  adherents.  That  these  took  no  part  in  the 
work  of  the  Judaists  is  evidenced  by  the  fact  that  Paul 
always  speaks  of  them  in  terms  of  the  highest  esteem. 
Had  they  in  any  manner  supported  the  Judaists,  Paul 
would  not  have  spared  them.  For  he  was  afraid  of  no 
man,  as  wt  see  by  the  way  in  which  he  called  Peter  to 
account  at  Antioch.  On  the  other  hand,  Paul  never 
mentions  having  received  any  pronounced  assistance 
from  the  other  apostles.  Probably  they  respected  the 
agreement  reached  by  the  conference  of  apostles  at 
Jerusalem ;  they  did  not  interfere  with  Paul's  missionary 
work,  but  limited  their  own  efforts  to  work  among  the 
Jews.  The  leading  spirit  among  these  Jewish  Christians 
was  James,  the  Lord's  brother.  As  Jew^s  by  birth, 
educated  in  the  Jewish  traditions,  they  no  doubt  held  it 
their  duty  to  follow  closely  the  precepts  of  the  Law. 
They  kept  themselves  to  the  temple,  observed  their  festal 
seasons,  and  the  like ;  and  felt  themselves  under  obli- 
gation to  do  this  until  the  Lord  should  absolve  them 
from  this  duty.  But  they  did  not  regard  these  observ- 
ances as  something  by  which  they  merited  the  grace  of 
God;  as  clearly  appears  from  what  they  said  at  the 
Jerusalem  conference.  At  the  same  time  they  did  not 
feel  that  they  had  the  right  to  accept  for  themselves 
the  greater  liberty  of  the  Gentile  Christians ;  and  there- 
fore they  took  offense  when  Peter  at  Antioch  yielded 
to  Paul  in  some  of  these  matters. 

Thus  the  Christians  were  still  divided  into  two  fac- 
tions ;  and  this  division  must  have  been  particularly  try- 
ing to  Paul.  A  united  Church  had  all  the  time  been  his 
ideal.      None    other    liad    so    strongly    emphasized    the 


158 

thought  that  all  barriers  should  be  broken  down,  and 
all  Christians  be  united  into  one  body.  But  the  Judaistic 
interpretation  of  the  Law  stood  in  the  way;  as  also  the 
misunderstandings  and  prejudices  harbored  by  even  the 
best  among  the  Jews.  We  see  here,  as  in  so  many 
other  things,  how  difficult  it  is  to  break  loose  from  old 
customs  and  opinions,  which  are  bred  in  the  bone;  and 
that  even  if  they  to  one  looking  on  from  a  distance 
seem  to  be  of  no  account,  or  rest  on  misconception  and 
on  wrong  premises.  Paul  fought  and  labored,  and  tried 
by  his  visits  to  Jerusalem  to  unite  the  two  factions;  but 
he  did  not  succeed.  At  least  he  did  not  live  to  see  fruit 
of  his  labor  along  these  lines. 

The  historical  developments  made  the  Jewish  Chris- 
tians to  see  more  and  more  clearly  the  deep  distinction 
between  Judaism  and  Christianity.  The  Jews  were  but 
awaiting  the  opportune  moment  to  crush  the  hated 
Christians.  Scarcely  a  year  after  the  taking  of  Paul  as 
a  prisoner  to  Rome,  circumstances  shaped  themselves  in 
such  a  way  that  the  Jews  were  able  to  make  open  war 
on  the  Christian  Church  in  Jerusalem ;  and  the  leader 
of  this  Church,  James,  fell  a  victim  of  their  hatred. 
There  was,  however,  soon  put  a  stop  to  any  further 
persecution;  and  the  Jews  were  for  the  time  being  com- 
pelled to  desist. 

But  the  condition  of  the  Church  in  Jerusalem  became 
all  the  time  more  intolerable.  Among  the  masses  there 
was  a  deep-rooted  hatred  of  the  Roman  tyranny.  The 
fair-minded  Porcius  Festus  was  succeeded  as  governor 
by  the  corrupt  Albinus  (62-64),  with  whom  justice  was 
for  sale,  with  no  regard  for  law  or  honesty.  For  money 
he  would  shut  his  eyes  to  any  sort  of  crime ;  and  even 
much  worse  than  Albinus  was  his  successor  Gessius 
Florus  (64—66).  His  misrule  knew  no  bounds.  He 
plundered  the  cities  and  other  communities ;  and  brig- 
ands needed  but  to  divide  the  bootv  with  him  in  order  to 


159 

be  entirely  safe. — But  the  Jewish  cup  of  misery  was  at 
last  full,  and  then  a  wild  insurrection  broke  loose ;  and 
this  brought  about  the  ruin  of  the  people  and  country. 

While  these  desperate  conditions  obtained  among  the 
Jews,  there  was  a  strong  growth  of  national  conscious- 
ness. The  Jewish  aspirations  and  the  expectation  of  a 
Messiah  laid  hold  on  the  masses ;  and  these  were  stirred 
to  their  depths  with  fanaticism.  It  will  be  readily 
understood  that  much  of  this  fanaticism  must  be  vented 
against  the  Christians ;  for  the  Christian's  hope  and  faith 
in  Jesus  as  the  Messiah  was  the  worst  enemy  of  the 
political  zealots.  And  though  these  were  kept  from 
making  open  war  on  the  Christians,  they  had  every  op- 
portunity to  show  their  hatred  and  contempt  in  their 
daily  dealings  with  them ;  so  that  the  sober  and  peace- 
able Christians  at  last  were  no  longer  able  to  live  in 
Jerusalem,  They  left  the  city  and  went  to  Pella  before 
the  revolution  had  fully  broken  out. — Thus  the  last 
bond  which  tied  them  to  Judaism  was  loosened ;  and 
when  Jerusalem  and  the  temple  were  merely  a  pile  of 
ruins,  and  the  Jewish  people  were  driven  out  of  their 
own  country,  the  old  time  had  passed  away.  The  bar- 
rier between  the  Jews  and  the  other  peoples  were  now 
torn  down;  and  the  Mother  Church  in  Jerusalem  could, 
of  course,  no  longer  hold  a  leading  position  am.ong  the 
Christian  Churches. 

Circumstances  thus  forced  the  Jewish  Christians  to 
change  their  old  views.  They  found  themselves  hated 
and  persecuted  by  their  own  compatriots,  and  so  they 
came  to  know  their  true  friends ;  and  the  former  zeal 
for  the  Law  and  for  nationalism  in  contra-distinction  to 
Christian  liberty  as  practiced  in  the  Pauline  Churches, 
was  done  away  with.  Now  history  itself  showed  that 
the  time  was  gone  by  when  religion  was  a  national- 
theocratic  affair  connected  with  the  temple  and  the  ob- 
servance of  the  Law:  and  that  hence  Paul  was  in  the 


160 

right,  and  that  they  must  now  save  their  faith  as  a 
thing  apart  from  these  comphcations. 

Paul  did  not  Hve  to  see  the  union  consummated  be- 
tween the  Jewish  and  the  Gentile  Christians.  It  is  pos- 
sible, however,  that  he  heard  of  conditions  in  Palestine 
just  before  the  beginning  of  the  revolution;  and  that  he 
had  a  glimpse  of  the  dawn  which  had  been  the  goal  of 
his  stormy  life. 

As  the  leader  of  the  great  war  on  heathenism  and 
Judaism,  Paul  was  of  the  right  timber.  The  Lord  of 
the  Church  finds  the  right  man  and  places  him  at  his 
appointed  post.  Paul  was  richly  endowed  by  nature ; 
he  had  a  splendid  intellectual  equipment.  And  the  edu- 
cation which  he  had  received  in  his  youth  stood  him  in 
good  stead.  Through  many  years  he  dragged  with  him  a 
body  racked  with  painful  disease.  He  earnestly  prayed 
God  to  deliver  him  from  this  suffering;  but  he  came  to 
learn  that  it  was  a  cross  which  God  had  laid  upon  him 
to  keep  him  humble,  in  order  that  he  might  the  better 
understand  the  power  of  God,  and  see  that  God's  grace 
is  all-sufficient.  He  had  a  lively  and  at  the  same  time 
deep  temperament ;  and  when  he  had  a  work  to  do. 
which  to  him  seemed  worth  while,  he  threw  his  whole 
soul  into  it.  He  had  dedicated  his  life  to  the  service  of 
God,  and  he  performed  the  service  with  all  his  might. 
The  same  energy  w^hich  he  had  displayed  before  his 
conversion  in  the  persecution  of  the  Christian  faith,  he 
afterward  turned  against  everything  that  would  corrupt 
his  Congregations.  His  education  as  a  rabbi  was  of 
great  value  to  him  in  his  fight  with  Jews  and  Juda- 
ism. He  knew  their  way  of  thinking  and  their  argu- 
ments; and  he  knew  the  art  of  turning  their  own 
weapons  against  them.  The  letter  to  the  Galatians  is 
especially  rich  in  examples  of  his  skill ;  his  words  are 
sledge-hammer  blows,  all  his  talents  are  employed  to 
the  full,  and  his  learning  and  profound  thought  appear 


161 

in  every  line  of  the  letter.  He  is  planted  firmly  on  the 
rock  of  truth ;  for  he  has  received  his  Gospel  not  from 
any  man,  but  direct  from  God.  And  he  is  not  ashamed 
of  this  Gospel ;  for  it  is  the  wisdom  of  God,  no  matter 
how  much  it  may  offend,  nor  how  men  may  laugh  at  it. 
The  burden  of  such  a  life  of  stress  as  Paul's  it  would 
not  be  possible  to  bear  without  a  firm  faith  in  God. 
Only  through  such  faith  may  one  receive  the  iron 
strength  which  can  not  be  crushed  by  any  suffering,  nor 
turned  aside  by  any  obstacle.  But  faith  in  God  means 
the  surrender  of  all  that  is  our  own.  So  when  we  re- 
view the  army  of  the  Lord,  who  is  stronger  than  Paul, 
and  who  more  humble?  He,  who  fashions  the  strong 
words  of  faith,  has  this  wonderful  and  deep  feeling  of 
his  own  unworthiness  and  weakness.  None  other  is  so 
little  in  himself  as  this  mightiest  soldier  of  Christendom ; 
in  himself  he  is  the  least  of  all,  the  greatest  of  sinners ; 
all  that  he  has  is  undeserved  mercy.  But  the  grace  of 
God  is  sufficient ;  'Vhen  I  am  weak,  then  I  am  strong." 
And  none  other  has  so  well  described  the  riches  of  the 
free  grace  of  God.  It  sets  his  soul  on  fire  with  a 
fervent  love,  such  as  no  man  may  feel  who  does  not 
reahze  his  own  sinfulness  and  God's  infinite  mercy.  But 
this  apostle,  whose  will  is  so  unyielding,  can  for  that 
very  reason  be  a  Jew  to  the  Jews,  and  a  Greek  to  the 
Greeks.  The  only  feeling  which  is  allowed  to  rule  him 
is  love.  None  other  has  been  so  well  able  as  he  to  ad- 
monish the  erring  brethren,  and  excuse  them,  and  guide 
them,  and  discipline  them  with  all  charity.  Never  has 
any  other  drawn  so  good  a  picture  of  a  soldier  of  the 
cross.  He  knew  what  it  meant :  ''Watch  thou  in  all 
things,  endure  afflictions,  do  the  work  of  an  evangelist, 
make  full  proof  of  thy  ministry.  For  I  am  now  ready  to 
be  offered,  and  the  time  of  my  departure  is  at  hand.  I 
have  fought  a  good  fight,  I  have  finished  my  course,  I 
have  kept  the   faith.     Henceforth   there   is  laid  up   for 


162 

me  a  crown  of  righteousness,  which  the  Lord,  the  right- 
eous Judge,  shall  give  me  at  that  day;  and  not  to  me 
only,  but  unto  all  them  also  that  love  His  appearing." 

This  is  a  hymn  of  victory  in  the  midst  of  death. 
Through  the  centuries  these  brave  words  have  given 
courage  to  hosts  of  soldiers  in  the  army  of  the  Lord. 

The  labors  of  Paul  had  brought  out,  or  rather,  clar- 
ified, a  new  religious  and  ethical  theory  of  life;  a  sys- 
tem which  can  unite  all  mankind,  and  which  embraces 
all  in  the  love  founded  in  Christian  faith  and  hope.  This 
new  principle  was  stronger  than  anything  else  in  the 
world;  and  thus  it  must  be  victorious.  The  Jewish  view 
of  life,  with  its  narrow  idea  of  forcibly  molding  all  in 
the  same  form;  and  the  philosophy  of  the  Stoics,  which 
in  its  self-sufficiency  and  heartlessness  coldly  turned  its 
back  on  the  joy  and  the  grief  of  others; — these  could 
not  bring  comfort  to  suffering  humanity.  Something 
else  was  wanted,  and  only  Christianity  had  the  needed 
strength.  The  Christian  faith  makes  man  independent  of 
the  things  of  this  world;  the  Christian  has  everything 
in  God,  with  whom  he  is  united;  he  is  a  child  of  God, 
and  therefore  heir  to  the  glory  of  God.  The  Spirit, 
who  works  through  the  Word  in  his  heart,  is  the  pledge 
of  this.  Then  what  matters  it  if  the  Christian  in  this 
world  must  suffer  affliction  and  be  reviled?  See  the 
wonderful  picture  drawn  in  the  8th  chapter  of  Romans. 

This  faith  in  God  and  love  of  Him  does  not  make  a 
man  callous  to  his  surroundings.  On  the  contrary,  there 
is  no  stronger  bond  than  Christian  love,  which  goes  out 
to  all  men;  its  highest  wish  is  to  win  as  many  as  pos- 
sible for  Christ.  This  is  illustrated  by  the  whole  life  of 
Paul.  The  love  of  Christ  is  the  only  and  perfect  rule. 
And  they  who  are  actuated  by  this  love  need  no  dead 
letter  to  threaten  them;  for  they  willingly  do  the  holy 
will  of  God.  The  child  spirit  is  the  spirit  of  obedience 
to  the  commands  of  the  father. 


163 

The  passion  and  death  of  Christ  is  for  all  men; 
none  is  to  be  shut  out.  God  is  not  the  God  of  the  Jews 
only,  nor  did  Christ  die  for  the  Jews  only;  His  atone- 
ment is  for  all.  God  is  the  Father  of  all ;  He  looks 
upon  all  with  the  same  love,  and  wants  to  be  "all  in 
all."  And  in  Christ  is  the  bond  which  unites  all:  Jew 
and  Greek,  slaves  and  freemen,  men  and  women. 

The  apostle  Paul  looms  up  high  among  the  host  of 
God's  witnesses.  Better  than  any  of  his  contemporaries 
he  understood  the  real  essence  and  spirit  of  Jesus.  So 
he  became  the  leader  who  was  to  guide  the  Church  out 
of  the  formalism  of  the  Old  Covenant,  and  teach  it  to 
live  in  the  spirit  of  the  New  Covenant;  and  who  was 
to  show  that  the  Christian  religion  is  the  religion  of  all 
humanity.  In  the  message  sent  out  by  him  to  the  old 
world,  which  was  tired  unto  death,  was  the  power  to 
give  new  life  and  strength;  a  living  fountain  out  of 
which  all  ages  and  generations  to  the  end  of  time  might 
draw  comfort  and  courage.  In  the  Christian  Church 
he  helped  to  organize  an  institution  which  is  to  stand 
when  thrones  totter,  and  when  all  other  institutions  have 
grown  gray  with  eld,  and  have  fallen  into  decay. 

Therefore  all  humanity  and  all  ages  owe  a  debt  of 
gratitude  to  Paul.  His  name  shall  never  be  forgotten; 
his  voice  resounds  through  the  centuries,  teaching  the 
children  of  men  to  grasp  the  ineffable  grace  of  God  in 
Christ  Jesus  our  Lord. 

When  Paul  Hfts  his  eyes  to  God  he  says:  ''Justified 
by  faith  we  have  peace  with  God  through  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ.    Abba,  Father." 

And  when  he  looks  out  over  the  great,  swarming 
world  of  human  beings,  he  cries  to  them:  "Greatest  of 
all  is  love." 


11 


PAUL'S  LETTERS 

A  Testimony  Concerning  the  Manner  in  which 

the  Gospel  was  Preached  in  the  earliest 

Gentile-Christian  Churches 


Table  of  Contents 


PAGE 

The  Letter  to  the  Romans   169 

The  Two  Letters  to  the  Church  at  Corinth   215 

The  1st  Letter  to  the  Corinthians    216 

The  2d  Letter  to  the  Corinthians  241 

The  Letter  to  the  Galatian   256 

The  Letter  to  the  Ephesian; 295 

The  Letter  to  the  Philippians 311 . 

The  Letter  to  the  Colossia 320 

The  1st  Letter  to  the  Thessalonians   337 

The  2d  Letter  to  the  Thessalonians   344 

The  1st  Letter  to  Timothy 350 

The  2d  Letter  to  Timothy 360 

The  Letter  to  Titus 367 

The  Letter  to  Philemon 372 


The  Chronological  Order  of  the  Letters 

The  Letters  to  the  Thessalonians,  written  in  the  year 53-54 

The  Letter  to  the  Galatians,  written  in  the  year 56 

The  Letters  to  the  Corinthians,   written   in   the  year 57 

The  Letter  to  the  Romans,   written   in  the  year 58 

The  Letters  to  the  Ephesians,  the  Colossians  and   Philemon. 

written  in  the  year 62  or  63 

The  Letter  to  the  Philippians,  written  in  the  year 63  or  64 

The  Letters  to  Timothy,  written  in  the  years 66  and  67 

The  Letter  to  Titus,  written  in  the  year 66 


The  Letter  to  the  Church  in  Rome. 

The  name  Rome:  includes  everything-  which  had  a 
place  in  the  ancient  world.  The  city  was  the  center  of 
the  vast  Roman  world  empire,  which  stretched  from  the 
Atlantic  in  the  west  to  India  in  the  east,  and  from  the 
North  Sea  to  the  Sahara  Desert  in  the  south.  The 
population  of  the  empire  was  about  100  millions.  From 
the  palace  of  the  emperor  his  commands  went  out  to 
the  most  distant  points  of  the  empire.  He  ruled  with 
an  iron  rod  over  these  milHons,  the  many  conquered  and 
enslaved  nations.  And  woe  to  the  vanquished  if  they 
did  not  remain  loyal. 

The  city  itself  was  filled  with  all  the  proud  splendor 
which  untold  wealth  together  with  love  of  luxury  and 
show  can  produce.  It  is  difficult  for  us  even  to  imagine 
the  insane  extravagance  of  splendor  which  was  peculiar 
to  imperial  Rome. 

Rome  was  built  on  seven  hills ;  and  on  all  sides  were 
parks  and  elegant  villas.  In  the  city  were  innumerable 
marble  palaces,  triumphal  arches,  statues,  fountains, 
works  of  art  of  all  kinds,  amusement  resorts,  and  the 
like. 

In  the  center  of  the  city  was  the  famous  Fonun, 
where  all  public  business  was  transacted.  On  the  one 
side  was  the  emperor's  palace,  and  on  the  other  side 
stood  the  world-famed  temple  of  Jupiter,  the  god  wor- 
shiped throughout  the  empire  as  the  father  of  the  gods. 
The  place  was  also  flanked  by  a  number  of  other  temples 
and  splendid  buildings ;  so  that  it  was,  in  all  probability, 
the  most   resplendently   beautiful   spot   on   earth.      This 


170 

was  the  terminus  of  the  ''Avenue  of  Triumph,"  on 
which  marched  the  victorius  Roman  armies  when  they 
came  home  from  the  wars,  bringing  with  them  vast 
treasure  and  great  numbers  of   slaves. 

The  population  of  the  city,  counting  only  such  as 
were  Roman  citizens,  was  about  800,000.  Counting 
slaves  and  strangers,  the  number  of  persons  in  the  city 
would  probably  reach  2  millions. 

The  Romans  were  extremely  fond  of  amusements. 
The  four  largest  theaters  had  a  total  seating  capacity  of 
60,000.  In  the  great  Colosseum  no  less  than  50,000 
persons  could  at  one  time  see  the  bloody  dramas  there 
enacted.  Here  the  captives  of  war  fought  with  one 
another,  or  with  wild  beasts,  for  the  amusement  of  the 
populace.  The  chariot  races  in  the  immense  Circus 
Maximus  might  have  as  many  as  155,000  spectators. 
And  there  were  numerous  lesser  amusement  resorts 
scattered  over  the  city. 

Rome  was  doubtless  the  most  immoral  city  in  the 
world.  Every  possible  form  of  vice  flourished.  The 
rich  rejoiced  in  every  imaginable  refinement  of  sensu- 
ality, and  the  poor  wallowed  in  the  mire. 

Here  one  might  see  heathenism  in  its  most  enticing 
form,  and  its  most  revolting  rottenness.  On  this  city 
the  eyes  of  all  the  world  were  focussed. 

The  Christian  Church  in  Rome. 

There  is  uncertainty  as  to  how  this  Church  came  to 
be  founded.  But  this  much  is  certain,  that  it  was  not, 
as  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  claims,  founded  by  the 
apostle  Peter.  Nor  is  there  any  better  foundation  for 
the  claim  that  Peter  was  for  25  years  the  bishop  of 
Rome.  Peter  remained  all  his  life  an  apostle,  and  was 
never  the  bishop  of  a  Church.  It  may  be,  however,  that 
like  the  apostle  Paul  he  died  the  death  of  a  martyr  in 
Rome.     It  is  said  that  his  body  is  buried  in  the  Church 


171 

called  after  him,  "San  Pietro  in  Vaticano,"  while  the 
grave  of  Paul  is  supposed  to  be  in  the  Church  '*San 
Paoli  fuori  le  mura." 

It  is  estimated  that  at  the  time  here  dealt  with  there 
were  in  Rome  about  50,000  Jews,  and  they  had  a  syna- 
gogue.— All  roads  led  to  Rome,  and  the  news  of  the 
great  empire  did  not  take  long  to  reach  the  city.  Thus 
the  Jews  in  Rome  must  very  soon  have  heard  of  Jesus 
and  the  new  religious  movement  in  Palestine.  In  Acts 
2:10  we  see  that  there  were  Romans  present  in  Jeru- 
salem at  the  time  of  the  first  Pentecost.  And  it  is  pos- 
sible that  one  or  more  of  them  were  among  the  converts. 

The  persecutions  which  the  Jews  began  in  Jerusalem 
drove  many  out  of  the  city,  and  the  easiest  place  for 
them  to  reach  was  Rome.  Strangers  were  all  the  time 
coming  to  Rome,  and  among  them  many  Jews.  Thus 
the  fame  of  Jesus  came  to  the  capital.  First  to  the 
synagogue;  for  here  was  the  meeting-place  of  all  the 
Jews  and  proselytes.  And  when  some  men  began  talk- 
ing to  these  Jews  about  Christ  there  was  trouble  in  the 
camp.  The  heathen  historian  Suetonius  says  that  the 
emperor  Claudius  "drove  the  Jews  out  of  Rome,  be- 
cause they  all  the  time  were  in  a  state  of  revolt,  incited 
thereto  by  one  Chrestos."  This  took  place  while  Paul 
was  in  Macedonia  on  his  second  missionary  journey. 

It  is  probable  that  events  shaped  themselves  in  Rome 
in  about  the  same  manner  as  that  with  which  we  are 
familiar  from  the  history  of  Paul's  work  in  other  places. 
The  Gospel  was  first  preached  to  the  Jews;  and  when 
they  rejected  it  and  refused  to  have  anything  further 
to  do  with  the  Christians,  these  found  it  necessary  to 
organize  a  Church  of  their  own. 

At  any  rate  there  was  in  Rome  such  a  Congregation 
of  Jewish  and  Gentile  converts.  The  Gentiles  were  in 
the  majority;  and  many  of  them  had  been  converted  by 
the  work  of  Paul.     Many  men  and  women  from  dif- 


172 

ferent  Pauline  Churches  had  either  taken  up  their  homes 
in  Rome,  or  visited  the  city,  before  Paul's  arrival.  This 
is  indicated  by  the  names  of  those  to  whom,  at  the  close 
of  his  letter,  he  sends  special  greetings.  These  people 
had  placed  the  stamp  of  Paul  on  the  Church  in  Rome. 
Among  them  were  Aquila  and  Priscilla.  They  had  come 
from  Rome  to  Corinth,  where  they  were  converted 
through  Paul;  and  then  they  returned  to  Rome  (Romans 
16:3).  Epaenetus  had  come  to  Rome  from  Ephesus 
(16:5).  Here  we  find  also  Simon  of  Cyrene — the 
man  who  had  carried  the  cross  of  Christ — and  his  wife 
and  their  son  Rufus.  Paul  had  become  acquainted  with 
them  in  Jerusalem.     There  were  also  many  others. 

That  a  majority  of  the  Church  members  were  Gen- 
tiles appears  from  several  statements  in  the  letter  (1:5; 
15:16;  11:13,  17-22).  But  it  is  just  as  certain  that 
there  were  a  number  of  Jewish  converts.  This  plainly 
appears  in  Chap.  2,  where  in  the  17th  verse  Paul  ad- 
dresses them  in  particular:  "Thou  art  called  a  Jew." 
The  same  thing  is  presupposed  in  Chap.  3 ;  otherwise 
the  question  in  verse  29  would  be  meaningless.  See 
also  7:  1-6;  and  the  whole  argument  in  Chapters  9-11 
must  have  the  Jews  in  mind. 

The  preaching  in  the  Church  was  according  to  the 
Pauline  Gospel.  Thus  we  see  that  he  praises  the  Con- 
gregation (1:8;  15:  14)  and  approves  of  their  form  of 
doctrine  (6:  17).  There  is  nothing  in  the  letter  to  sug- 
gest that  the  Judaists  had  accomplished  anything  in 
this  Church.  The  Gentiles  would  seem  to  have  been  so 
strong  in  numbers  that  the  Jewish  Christians  rather  felt 
themselves  pushed  into  the  background.  For  Paul  finds 
it  necessary  to  remind  the  Romans  that  the  Jews  after 
all  had  certain  advantages,  even  if  they  as  a  people  had 
rejected  the  grace  of  God  in  Christ.  But  at  the  same 
time  he  impresses  with  great  force  on  all  that  no  man 
is    justified    before    God    through    the    Law,    but    only 


173 

through  faith,  which  accepts  the  salvation  in  Christ. 
Before  God  there  is  no  difference  between  Jew  and 
Gentile. 

IVhy  and  When  Did  Paul  Write  This  Letter? 

Paul  had  for  a  long  time  hoped  to  be  able  to  visit 
Rome  (Acts  19:21;  Romans  1:13;  15:23).  But  his 
work  as  a  missionary  in  Asia  Minor  and  Greece  had 
kept  him  too  busy.  Now  this  work  was,  in  a  way,  fin- 
ished. The  Churches  in  Asia  were  clustered  about 
Ephesus,  and  those  in  Macedonia  and  Greece  about 
Corinth,  as  their  administrative  centers.  So  it  seemed 
to  Paul  that  he  might  bring  his  work  in  the  eastern 
part  of  the  empire  to  a  close.  The  West  was  calling 
him ;  he  was  at  one  of  the  turning  points  in  his  career. 
And  the  natural  headquarters  of  his  work  after  this 
must  be  the  magnificent  capital  of  the  empire  (Romans 
15:19,  23,  28). 

He  wished,  before  coming  in  person,  to  establish 
some  sort  of  relations  with  the  Church  in  Rome.  Though 
he  had  never  been  there,  this  Church  was  no  stranger 
to  him.  And  he  understood  very  well  that  the  Church 
in  Rome  was  destined  to  hold  a  commanding  position 
in  all  Christendom.  Rome  was  the  center  of  the  world. 
Therefore  it  was  especially  important  to  formulate  the 
Christian  doctrine  in  plain  words  and  present  it  to  this 
Church,  and  maintain  peace  and  unity  among  the  faith- 
ful in  Rome. 

Still,  Paul  could  not  go  to  them  at  once ;  he  was 
collecting  money  for  the  poor  in  Jerusalem  among  the 
brethren  in  Macedonia  and  Achaia,  and  he  himself 
wanted  to  carry  this  money  to  Jerusalem.  While  en- 
gaged in  this  labor  of  love  he  spent  much  time  in 
Corinth ;  and  here  he,  in  the  year  59,  wrote  his  Epistle 
to  the  Romans.  (See  I,  page  116.)  The  letter  was 
probably  sent  by  the  hand  of  the  deaconess  Phebe  from 


174 

the  port  of  Cenchrea,  near  Corinth  (16:  1),  as  she  was 
to  go  to  Rome,  and  could  take  the  letter  with  her.  Paul 
at  the  same  time  bespoke  for  her  the  good-will  of  the 
Christians  in  Rome. 

THE  PLAN  O^  the:  letter. 
Introduction  and  greeting.     1 :  1-17. 

I.    The  righteous  by  faith  shall  live.     1 :  18-8 :  39. 

1.  All   men,   both  Jews   and   Gentiles,   are  under  the   wrath   of 
God.     1 :  18-3 :  20. 

a.  The  Gentiles  are  under  the  wrath  of  God.     1 :  18-32. 

b.  Over   the  Jews   also   rests   the   wrath  of  God.     2:1-3:8. 

c.  All   are,  therefore,   sinners.     3 :  9-20. 

2.  God  has  in  Christ  brought  about  the  righteousness  which  lost 
man  so  sorely  needs.    3:21-31. 

3.  The  proof  of  this  doctrine  of  Paul's  concerning  righteousness. 
4-5. 

a.  Proof  from  the  history  of  Abraham.     4. 

b.  Proof   furnished  by  Christian  experience.     5:1-11. 

c.  Proof  from  a  comparison,  or  contrast,  between  Adam  and 
Christ.     5:12-21. 

4.  The  new  life.    6-8. 

a.  Believers  are  by  the  grace  in  Christ  made  free  from  the 
power  of  sin.     6:1-7:6. 

b.  As  long  as  man  is  under  the  power  of  the  Law  he  also  is 
under  the  power  of  sin.    7 :  7-25. 

c.  The  new  life  in  Christ  is  a  life  in  the  spirit  of  Christ.    8. 

II.     For  the  Jews  first,  and  then  for  the  Greeks.    9-11 

1.  The  Jews  have  misunderstood  God's  promises.     9:1-29. 

2.  The   condemnation   of  the  Jews   is   their  own   fault.     9 :  30- 
10:20. 

3.  God's  plans  for  this  subborn  people.     11. 

III.    The  new  life  in  its  relations  to  the  affairs  of  our  daily  life, 
12:1-15:13. 
Closing    remarks.      15  :  14-16 :  27, 


175 

Introduction  and  Gre^i^tixng  (1:1-17). 

Paul  Is  the  Messenger  of  Jesus  Christ  to  the  Gentiles. 

1 :  1-17.  It  was  the  usual  custom  in  those  times  to 
begin  a  letter  by  mentioning  who  the  writer  was,  and  to 
whom  it  was  to  be  sent;  and  then  followed  greetings. 
As  Paul  was  personally  unacquainted  with  most  of  the 
members  of  the  Church  in  Rome,  the  introduction  to 
this  letter  is  somewhat  more  extended  than  is  generally 
the  case. 

The  apostle  begins  by  explaining  by  what  right  he 
sends  this  letter.  The  Lord  Jesus  has  made  him  His 
messenger  to  bring  to  the  Gentile  world  the  glad  news 
that  God  had  now  sent  the  salvation  promised  through 
the  prophets  and  revealed  in  the  Sacred  Writings  of 
Israel.  God  has  given  this  salvation  to  the  world 
through  His  Son,  who  after  His  human  nature  is  a  scion 
of  the  royal  house  of  David.  In  the  spirit  of  holiness 
Jesus  fulfilled  His  mission  as  the  Savior;  and  God 
placed  His  stamp  of  approval  on  Him  and  His  work  by 
raising  Him  from  the  dead  and  making  Him  the  Lord 
of  the  Church.  Paul  is  the  servant  of  this  Savior,  and 
brings  the  news  of  Him  to  the  Gentiles.  Therefore  he 
comes  with  this  Gospel  to  the  Congregation  in  Rome. 
For  they,  also,  are  God's  dear  children,  called  of  God 
to  belong  to  the  communion  of  the  saints.  So  the 
apostle  greets  them  with  the  wish  that  they  may  have 
grace  and  peace  from  God  our  Father,  and  from  our 
Lord  Jesus   Christ. 

The  apostle  has  in  these  few  words  found  a  terse 
expression  for  his  view  of  his  apostolic  calling,  and  for 
the  Gospel  which  he  preaches.  God  has  appointed 
Christianity  to  be  the  world  religion.  The  Gospel  is  for 
all  men.  Salvation  is  by  grace. — These  are  the  great 
ideas  which  he  wishes  to  present  to  the  Church. 


176 

Hozv  He  Longed  to  Bring  the  Gospel  to  Rome. 

1 :  8-17.  Paul  had  all  the  time  longed  to  visit  Rome ; 
always  there  had  been  something  to  prevent  it.  Now, 
however,  he  hopes  soon  to  come;  for  he  is  a  debtor  to 
all  men,  and  the  purpose  of  his  life  is  to  pay  this  debt 
by  preaching  the  Gospel.  This  he  wants  to  do  in  Rome 
also.  He  is  not  ashamed  to  preach  the  Gospel  in  any 
place;  for  the  Gospel  alone  is  the  power  of  God  unto 
salvation  to  all  that  believe;  to  the  Jews  first,  and  also 
to  the  Greek.  None  is  excluded,  and  none  has  any  ad- 
vantage; Jew  and  Gentile  here  stand  on  the  same  foot- 
ing. All  need  this  message  of  salvation ;  for  in  it  God 
has  revealed  the  righteousness  which  saves  us ;  that  we 
may  stand,  and  not  fall,  when  we  come  to  judgment. 
This  righteousness,  which  no  man  can  bring  about, 
God  has  Himself  brought  to  light,  and  gives  it  as  a  free 
gift  to  all  who  in  childlike  confidence  receive  the  joyful 
tidings  (''of  faith")  ;  and  by  this  same  gift  men  are 
kept  in  the  faith  (''to  faith").  Salvation  can  be  had 
only  through  faith.  He  who  believes  the  Word  of  salva- 
tion, and  holds  it  fast,  he  is  thereby  in  the  right  relation 
to  God,  and  has  life  in  Jesus  Christ;  as  it  is  written: 

I.    THE  JUST  SHALL  LIVE  BY  FAITH. 

Here  the  apostle  has  reached  the  leading  thought  of 
the  letter,  the  greatest  of  all  questions,  the  deepest  thing 
in  all  religion:  How  may  we  reach  the  point  where  we 
have  God  with  us,  and  not  against  us?  Israel  sought 
to  answer  this  by  arranging  their  life  and  worship  to 
conform  with  the  precepts  of  the  Law ;  and  the  Gentiles, 
by  sacrifices,  learned  speculations,  and  the  like.  But 
none  found  the  answer;  for  they  went  about  it  in  the 
wrong  way.  Therefore  all  were  without  this  righteous- 
ness. The  answer  can  come  froiii  God  only:  and  it  is 
this  which  the  apostle  brings. 


177 

He  shows  first:  How  the  zuhole  human  family,  Jews 
and  Gentiles,  are  under  the  mrath  of  God.  All  are 
sinners  (1:  18—3:20). 

And  then:  That  God  in  Christ  has  provided  the 
righteousness  which  lost  humanity  so  sorely  needs. 
(1:21-31). 


1.   THE    WHOLE    HUMAN    FAMILY,    JEWS    AND    GEN- 
TILES, ARE  UNDER  THE  W^RATH  OF 
GOD   (1:18—3:20). 

a.  The  GentilEvS  Are  Under  the  Wrath  oe  God 
(1:18-32). 

The  misery  into  which  the  Gentile  world  is  sunk  is 
the  punishment  of  God's  wrath  upon  them,  for  that  they 
by  their  wickedness  and  unrighteousness  prevent  the 
truth  from  gaining  power  over  their  mind.  They  could 
have  knowledge  of  God;  for  God  has  with  all  necessary 
clearness  revealed  Himself  in  His  creation.  The  created 
world  speaks,  in  a  way  not  to  be  misunderstood,  of 
God's  eternal  power  and  divine  glory.  But  men  have 
shut  their  eyes  to  it;  they  neither  honored  nor  thanked 
Him.  Therefore  the  hand  of  God  has  been  heavy  upon 
them.  In  spite  of  the  wisdom  of  which  they  boasted,, 
they  have  been  struck  blind,  and  they  have  given  them- 
selves up  to  a  foolish  worship  of  idols. 

This  spiritual  poverty  has  moral  degeneracy  as  its 
companion ;  idolatry  and  immorality  go  hand  in  hand. 
This  is  the  universal  rule.  God  has  in  His  anger  suf- 
fered them  to  sink  down  into  all  sorts  of  vices,  even 
the  most  disgusting  and  unnatural.  And  the  result  has 
been  unspeakable  misery.  Though  they  understand  how 
wrong  and  ruinous  such  conduct  is,  they  not  only  prac- 
tise it  themselves,  but  they  even  find  delight  in  seeing 
others  also  wallow  in  the  mire. 


178 


b.    OvisR  THE  Jew  Also  Rests  the  Wrath  of  God 
(2:1-3:8). 

The  first  thing  of  which  the  Jews  boasted  as  proof 
that  they  were  in  favor  with  God,  was  the  circumstance 
that  they  had  the  Law  (2:  1-16). 

The  Jews  and  the  Law. 

If  the  Gentile  is  without  excuse  before  God  for  hav- 
ing refused  to  see  the  light  which  God  gave  him  in  ex- 
ternal nature,  this  is  in  a  still  higher  degree  true  of  the 
Jew.  Both  are  found  equally  guilty,  and  both  are  with- 
out excuse. 

The  Jew  was  not  slow  to  pass  judgment  on  the  Gen- 
tiles for  their  corrupt  life.  He  knew  the  difference  be- 
tween right  and  wrong;  for  he  had  from  his  youth  been 
instructed  in  the  Law  of  God.  But  he  did  not  con- 
sider that  in  judging  the  Gentiles  he  judged  himself; 
for  he  himself  did  just  those  things  for  which  he  con- 
demned the  Gentiles.  But  we  know  that  God's  judgment 
on  men  is  based  on  what  they  do,  and  not  on  what  they 
know.  So  the  Jew  must  not  count  on  God's  great 
goodness  and  patience;  if  these  do  not  accomplish  that 
which  God  intends,  namely,  a  change  of  heart.  Failing 
in  this,  the  punishment  is  as  sure  and  severe  on  Jew  as 
on  Gentile.     For  God  is  not  a  respecter  of  persons. 

On  the  great  day  of  judgment  God  shall  not  divide 
mankind  into  Jews  and  Gentiles,  but  into  two  classes : 
those  who  are  obedient  to  the  will  of  God,  and  those 
who  are  disobedient.  The  former  He  rewards ;  and  the 
others  He  punishes,  without  distinction  of  Jew  and 
Gentile.     For  He  is  a  righteous  Judge. 

God,  then,  is  no  respecter  of  persons;  He  judges  all 
by  the  same  rule.  If  the  Jews  violate  the  Law  it  will 
profit  them  nothing  that  they  hear  it  read  on  the  Sab- 
bath.    Nor  will  the  heathen  escape  punishment  merely 


179 

because  they  do  not  have  the  written  Law.  For  it  is 
often  seen  that,  hearing  the  voice  of  conscience,  they 
obey  some  of  the  Commandments,  though  having  no 
knowledge  of  the  Law.  Thus  they  show  that  there  is 
something  in  them  which  tells  them  what  is  right,  and 
what  is  wrong,  and  which  condemns  their  acts,  or  ap- 
proves of  them.  Even  if  they  hide  this  now  it  will  come 
to  light  on  the  last  great  day,  when  God  appoints  Jesus 
to  judge  the  world. 

The  Jewish  Name  Indicated   That   They   Were   God's 
Chosen  People. 

2:  17-24.  In  the  next  place,  the  Jews  prided  them- 
selves on  their  name.  They  were  God's  Chosen  People 
and  had  been  given  a  peculiar  position  above  the  other 
peoples.  This  was  their  strength  and  pride.  The  Roman 
was  proud  of  his  power,  the  Greek  of  his  wisdom,  and 
the  Jew  of  his  name.  The  Jews  took  pride  in  their 
God;  He  was  their  own  God,  and  they  were  His  people. 
They  alone  knew  the  Law;  they  looked  down  on  the 
Gentiles  as  being  people  who  walked  in  darkness,  with 
no  understanding  of  God  and  His  will ;  and  they  re- 
garded themselves  as  appointed  of  God  to  be  teachers  of 
the  Gentiles. 

But  the  name  in  which  they  trust,  and  of  which  they 
boast,  would  not  help  them;  for  their  life  and  their 
doctrine  were  too  wide  apart.  They  were  severe-  in 
condemning  the  Gentiles  for  the  two  great  sins:  the 
love  of  money  and  the  lusts  of  the  flesh.  But  they 
themselves  were  guilty  of  both — in  a  somewhat  more 
refined  form.  They  looked  with  disgust  on  idolatry; 
but  they  did  not  hesitate  to  make  money  on  it  by  fraud. 
Instead  of  living  like  God's  own  people,  they  lived  in 
a  way  to  cause  the  name  of  God  to  be  blasphemed 
among  the  Gentiles. 


180 

The  Jew  and  Circumcision. 

Still  another  thing  of  which  the  Jews  boasted,  and 
in  which  they  put  their  trust,  was  their  circumcision. 
This  marked  them  as  children  of  Abraham,  and  was  to 
save  them  from  the  judgment.  But  circumcision  would 
not  in  the  judgment  be  any  protection  for  violators  of 
the  Law.  When  Gentiles,  who  have  not  the  Law,  still 
do  the  Law's  commands,  they  stand  as  living  witnesses 
against  the  Jewish  violators  of  the  Law.  So  God's 
judgment  will  not  be  a  question  of  whether  or  not  they 
are  circumcised.  It  is  not  circumcision  in  the  flesh 
which  makes  one  a  member  of  God's  people,  but  the 
spiritual  circumcision  of  the  heart  by  the  Spirit  of  God. 
The  slave  of  the  letter  of  the  Law  may  be  admired  by 
men,  but  he  does  not  win  the  favor  of  God. 

This  declaration  of  Paul  that  their  Law,  their  elec- 
tion and  their  circumcision  did  not  benefit  them;  that 
God  loved  Gentile  as  well  as  Jew, — made  the  Jews  fu- 
rious and  aroused  their  bitter  enmity  toward  the  apostle. 
Their  ideas  of  the  Law  and  election  and  circumcision 
were  bred  in  the  bone;  so  that  the  Jew  found  it  very 
difficult  to  give  them  up,  even  when  he  had  become  a 
Christian.  Paul  continually  rubbed  up  against  these 
contradictions.  Here  he  fought  the  great  fight  of  his 
life.  Therefore  he  again  and  again  returns  to  this  sub- 
ject. 

Has  the  Jezu,  then,  no  advantage f  (3:  1-8). 

The  Advantage  of  the  Jezv. 

3 :  1-4.  Since  their  ownership  of  the  Law,  their 
election  as  a  Chosen  People,  and  their  circumcision  do 
not  profit  the  Jews,  do  they,  then,  have  no  advantage 
over  the  Gentiles?  This  was,  no  doubt,  a  common  per- 
version of  Paul's  words.  But  what  he  has  said  is,  that 
these  things  do  not  have  the  effect  with  which  the  Jew 


181 

eredits  them;  that  is,  the  power  to  save  him  in  the  judg- 
ment. There  is  but  one  thing  which  can  do  this,  and 
that  is  that  he  keep  the  Law.  In  the  sight  of  God  the 
Jew  who  violates  the  Law  is  no  better  than  the  Gentile 
transgressor.  The  Jews  have  no  right  to  expect  more 
lenient  treatment  than  the  others  in  the  judgment.  But 
Paul  does  not  by  this  mean  to  say  that  the  Jew  has  no 
advantage  of  any  kind  whatever.  In  Chap.  9-11  he 
takes  up  this  matter  and  deals  with  it  at  some  length. 
The  great  advantage  of  Israel  is,  according  to  Paul,  the 
peculiar  position  which  God  has  given  them  before  all 
other  peoples  in  the  history  of  His  Kingdom  of  grace. 
Salvation  comes  from  the  Jews. 

In  this  place  the  apostle  mentions  only  the  one  great 
advantage :  God  has  committed  His  Word  to  the  Jews; 
to  them  and  none  others.  They  despised  the  Word ;  but 
their  unbelief  does  not  make  the  faith  of  God  without 
effect.  God  abides  by  that  which  He  has  said,  even  if 
every  man  be  a  liar;  and  some  time  all  shall  be  forced 
to  admit  that  the  righteousness  of  God  reigns  supreme. 

An  Objection  and  Its  Answer. 

3 :  5-8.  When  Paul's  opponents  attacked  him  they 
put  a  wrong  construction  on  his  stand  in  this  matter. 
They  charged  that  his  doctrine  contradicted  itself,  and 
that  it  led  to  results  which  were  against  morality.  They 
said:  If  my  sin  makes  the  righteousness  of  God  to  shine 
the  brighter,  and  if  my  faithlessness  makes  His  truth 
appear  the  more  glorious,  it  is  meaningless  to  teach  that 
God  will  condemn  these  sins  of  mine.  It  would  not  be 
right  of  Him  to  punish  them  that  glorify  Him;  they 
rather  deserve  a  reward. 

As  against  this  argument  Paul  lays  down  the  propo- 
sition that  when  God  condemns  sin.  He  does  not  ask 
whether  or  not  it  in  some  way  redounds  to  His  greater 
glory.     This   question   as   to  how   God   may  turn   even 


182 

men's  sins  to  some  good,  is  a  matter  apart.  God  con- 
demns all  sin  as  such,  and  all  who  violate  His  Law  de- 
serve punishment.  This  must  be  God's  verdict  as  the 
Judge  of  the  world.  Though  He  may  turn  the  evil  into 
good,  this  does  not  in  any  manner  make  us  the  less 
guilty.  However,  the  whole  chain  of  reasoning  is  a 
malicious  perversion  of  what  the  apostle  has  said.  He 
has  never  meant  to  argue  that  we  should  do  evil  in 
order  that  good  may  come  of  it.  Such  a  statement  is 
shocking  blasphemy;  and  they  who  make  it  can  not 
escape  God's  righteous  wrath  and  punishment. 

c.   Therefore::  All  Are  Sinners,  and  Deserving  of 
Punishment  (3:9-20). 

After  these  incidental  remarks  in  verses  5-8  the 
apostle  returns  to  the  main  argument;  showing  that, 
so  far  from  its  being  true  that  the  Jews  has  any  ad- 
vantage, Jew  and  Gentile  are  alike  in  being  sinners  be- 
fore God.  None  has  the  righteousness  needed  in  order 
to  stand  before  God  in  the  judgment.  And  if  the  Jews 
will  not  accept  the  word  of  the  apostle  they  must  still 
accept  that  which  God  Himself  says  to  them  in  the  holy 
Scriptures.  The  apostle  then  quotes  a  number  of  pas- 
sages from  the  Old  Testament  which  declare  with  all 
possible  clearness  that  the  Law  condemns  all  men  with- 
out exception  as  sinners.  Thus  all  the  world  is  guilty 
before  God.  And  the  Law,  in  which  the  Jews  put  their 
trust,  has  for  its  very  purpose  to  stop  their  mouth,  and 
show  them  that  they  are  no  better  than  others,  but  like 
them  deserve  punishment.  For  none  can  obtain  right- 
eousness by  keeping  the  Commandments ;  on  the  con- 
trary, by  trying  it  they  learn  that  they  are  sinners.  This 
is  one  purpose  of  the  Law. 


188 


2.   GOD    HAS    IN    CHRIST    BROUGHT    TO    LIGHT    THE 

RIGHTEOUSNESS   WHICH   LOST   MAN    SO 

SORELY  NEEDS  (3:21-31). 

God's  Plan  to  Make  Man  Righteous. 

The  picture  of  mankind  which  the  apostle  here  paints 
is  a  dark  one.  No  matter  which  way  he  turns,  he  can 
find  no  righteousness  that  can  stand  before  God;  but 
only  sin  and  guilt.  There  seems  to  be  no  hope ;  Gentile 
and  Jew  alike  are  in  a  bad  way. 

But  then  the  new  light  from  Heaven,  shining 
through  the  Gospel,  is  all  the  more  bright :  God's  plan 
of  righteousness  for  guilty  humanity ;  but  not  through 
their  own  hopeless  efforts  to  obtain  it  by  obeying  the 
Law.  No,  God  has  Himself  brought  it  about,  as  fore- 
told by  the  Law  itself  and  the  Prophets;  and  He  gives 
it  as  a  free  gift  to  all  who  believe  in  Christ.  All  may 
have  this  righteousness.  All  being  sinners,  there  is  but 
one  way  for  all  to  obtain  righteousness — the  way  of 
faith.  Having  nothing,  they  must  receive  all  as  a  gift. 
In  no  other  way  can  we  become  righteous  before  God. 
But  He  could  not  have  given  us  this  grace,  had  not  Jesus 
Christ  borne  the  punishment  of  our  sins.  So,  when 
God  deals  out  the  gift  of  righteousness.  He  does  not 
consider  what  we  are,  or  what  we  have  done;  but  He 
looks  to  Jesus  Christ,  and  to  what  He  has  done.  There- 
fore we  do  not  stand  in  the  sight  of  God  as  guilty,  but 
as  guiltless  creatures ;  and  therefore  God  does  not  de- 
mand anything  of  us  in  order  that  He  may  declare  us 
righteous. 

When  Jesus  willingly  gave  His  life,  and  with  His 
own  blood  redeemed  fallen  humanity,  God  presented 
Him  before  the  eyes  of  all  the  world  as  One  who  gave 
all  that  to  which  the  great  Day  of  Atonement  had 
pointed.  On  that  day  the  high  priest  went  every  year 
into  the  holy  place  and  sprinkled  the  blood  of  the  sacri- 


184 

fice  on  the  mercy-seat  as  atonement  for  sin.  But  this 
foreshadowed  the  atonement  through  Jesus.  Him  God 
set  forth  as  a  mercy-seat,  through  His  blood,  for  all 
who,  in  faith,  accept  His  atoning  sacrifice.  In  this  way 
God  wanted  to  show  that  He  is  a  just  God  whose  judg- 
ments are  true  and  righteous  altogether.  In  His  great 
forbearance  He  had  tolerated  the  sins  of  man  from  the 
fall  to  the  time  of  Christ.  But  this  forbearance  might 
easily  lead  people  astray  in  regard  to  the  justice  of  God. 
For  sin  had  not  been  adequately  punished,  nor  had  it 
been  properly  atoned  for.  But  now  that  Jesus  has  by 
His  blood  paid  the  penalty  of  sin  for  all  the  world,  there 
is  made  full  atonement  for  all  guilt.  Thus  God  may  as 
a  just  God  grant  righteousness  as  a  free  gift  of  His 
grace  to  all  who  believe  in  Jesus. 

This  being  so,  we  have  absolutely  nothing  of  which 
to  boast.  It  would  have  been  otherwise  had  we  been 
able  to  earn  our  own  righteousness  by  obedience  to  the 
Law;  but  now  we  must  accept  it  as  a  free  gift  through 
faith. 

Had  salvation  been  of  the  Law  it  would  have  been 
limited  to  Israel.  For  the  Law  had  been  given  to  them ; 
and  the  Gentiles  must,  in  order  to  be  saved,  have  been 
adopted  into  the  Jewish  people.  However,  there  being 
but  one  God,  He  must  be  the  God  of  all  men,  and  not 
of  the  Jews  alone;  and  help  them  in  their  sore  need  by 
means  of  a  way  which  all  may  go :  the  way  of  faith. 

But  does  not  this  mean  that  the  Law  is  made  void, 
or  is  suspended?  This  was  one  of  the  complaints  made 
by  the  Jews  against  the  preaching  of  Paul.  Here  he 
merely  repudiates  the  charge.  Instead  of  making  the 
Law  void,  he  has,  on  the  contrary,  given  it  the  place 
which  God  wants  it  to  have.  Later  on  he  goes  into  the 
matter  more  in  detail. 

Thus  we  have  in  these  pregnant  verses  a  summary 
of  the  Pauline  Gospel :    One  God  and  one  atonement ; 


185 

one  Savior  and  one  way  of  salvation  for  all  men,  who 
were  equally  lost.  The  salvation  in  Christ  is  for  all. 
None  receives  it  as  having  deserved  it  by  his  own 
works ;  but  because  God  in  His  infinite  love  has  had 
mercy  on  all  men,  and  offers  them  righteousness  as  a 
free  gift  of  His  grace  to  be  received  through  faith. 
This  is  the  leading  thought  in  the  Gospel  of  Paul ;  and 
this  is  the  true  Christianity. 

3.   THE  PROOF  OF  THIS  DOCTRINE  OF  PAUL'S  CON- 
CERNING RIGHTEOUSNESS   (4-5) 

These  great  thoughts,  which  God  had  appointed  Paul 
to  preach,  meant  nothing  less  than  the  tearing  down 
of  the  whole  religious  structure  of  the  Jews.  There- 
fore the  Jews  hated  the  new  preaching,  and  the 
preacher.     It  came  to  be  a  war  to  the  death. 

But  it  was  more  than  this.  The  new  preaching 
meant  that  the  Old  Covenant  was  of  the  past,  and  that 
now  it  was  to  be  replaced  by  a  New  Covenant. 

Was  Paul's  preaching  true,  then,  according  to  the 
Scriptures?  Was  it  or  was  it  not  supported  by  the 
Word  of  God  in  the  Old  Testament?  If  Paul  had  the 
Old  Testament  against  him,  his  preaching  could  not  be 
true.  Here  the  apostle  had  an  enormous  task.  We 
have  seen  him,  in  these  first  chapters,  read  the  Bible  to 
Jews  and  Christians,  and  point  out  what  it  says  concern- 
ing all  men.  Now  he  proceeds :  Take  your  Bible  and 
read  it; — God's  plan  of  salvation  has  always  been  ex- 
actly the  one  which  I  have  now  preached.  The  history 
of  Abraham  must  be  especially  competent  proof;  for  it 
was  as  the  children  of  Abraham  that  the  Jews  found 
themselves  having  a  sure  salvation.  What  does,  then, 
the  history  of  Abraham  teach  in  this  matter? — Paul 
finds  another  proof  in  the  Christians'  own  erperience ; 
and  then  he  pieces  together  the  history  of  Adam  and 
that  of  Christ,  and  shows  how  closely  they  fit  each  other. 


186 

a.    Proof  from  th^  History  of  Abraham  (4:1-25). 

Abraham  Was  Not  Justified  by  Works. 

4 :  1-8.  Let  us  begin  with  our  father  Abraham,  says 
the  apostle,  and  see  how  it  came  about,  that  he  was 
justified  before  God.  The  Jews  went  wide  of  the  mark 
when  they  imagined  that  Abraham  found  favor  with 
God  because  of  his  good  works.  For  Scripture  says 
distinctly  that  Abraham  believed  God,  and  this  was 
counted  to  him  for  righteousness  (Gen.  15:6).  The 
way  of  salvation  preached  by  Paul  applied  to  Abraham 
also. — But  he  who  has  works  of  which  to  make  boast 
has  the  right  to  demand  a  reward,  and  then  grace  is  out 
of  the  question.  But  when  one  has  no  works  to  boast 
of,  but  turns  to  God  in  faith,  as  did  Abraham,  then  his 
faith  is  counted  to  him  for  righteousness.  The  idea 
that  one  is  justified  by  reason  of  his  good  works  is  the 
exact  opposite  of  the  truth;  for  it  is  to  the  ungodly, 
who  has  no  works  of  which  to  boast,  that  God  can 
grant  righteousness,  because  this  man  in  faith  puts  all 
his  trust  in  God. 

This  is  the  testimony  of  David  also,  the  great  Jewish 
ideal,  the  man  after  God's  own  heart.:  The  glor>'  of 
justification  consists  in  this,  that  God  forgives  us  our 
transgressions. 

Circumcision  Does  Not  Avail. 

4:9-12.  Good  works,  then,  had  nothing  to  do  with 
the  justification  of  Abraham.  But  how  was  it  with  his 
circumcision?  Here  was  the  next  objection  with  which 
the  enemies  of  the  apostle  met  him:  Without  circum- 
cision faith  could  be  of  no  benefit ;  for  to  become  a 
child  of  God  one  must  be  circumcised  and  thus  become 
one  of  God's  people,  a  son  of  Abraham  according  to  the 
flesh. 

Again  Paul  points  to  the  history  of  Abraham;  faith 


187 

was  counted  to  him  for  righteousness,  long  before  he 
was  circumcised  (read  Gen.  15  and  17).  It  is  not  nec- 
essary to  be  circumcised  in  order  to  be  declared  right- 
eous of  God.  Thus  God  has  made  Abraham  the  father 
of  all  the  faithful,  whether  they  be  circumcised  or  not. 

The  Law,  the  Promise,  Faith,  Righteousness. 

4:  13-25.  Nor  are  God's  promises  dependent  on  the 
Law.  This,  also,  is  shown  by  the  history  of  Abraham; 
for  he  received  the  promise  because  he  was  justified 
through  faith.  No  other  solution  was  possible.  Had 
the  promises  been  conditioned  on  the  keeping  of  the 
Commandments,  none  could  have  made  them  his  own ; 
for  the  Law  calls  down  the  wrath  of  God  on  all  who 
violate  it;  as  all  men  do.  Faith  would  then  be  useless, 
and  the  promise  of  no  account.  But  if  the  promise  is 
not  conditioned  by  any  law,  there  would  be  no  violation 
which  could  take  away  the  promise;  one  can  not  violate 
a  law  which  does  not  exist.  But  that  the  promise  might 
be  absolutely  sure,  God  made  it  of  faith]  for  then  He 
could  give  it  to  man  as  a  free  gift  of  grace.  Then  the 
Gentiles,  also,  could  be  made  partakers  of  the  promise; 
and  Abraham  would  be  the  father  of  all  the  faithful, 
whether  Jew  or  Gentile.  Thereby  is  fulfilled  the  word 
of  Scripture;  "I  have  made  thee  a  father  of  many  na- 
tions." That  the  faithful  are  the  true  children  of 
Abraham  appears  in  this  also,  that  their  faith  is  of  the 
same  nature  as  his.  Abraham  believed  in  God  as  the 
God  who  quickens  the  dead.  And  in  faith  he  trusted 
the  power  and  truth  of  God,  even  when  the  fulfilment 
of  the  promise  seemed  humanly  impossible.  He  ''against 
hope  believed  in  hope" ;  and  he  did  not  let  unbelief 
seduce  him  to  doubt  God's  promises.  So  his  faith  was 
strengthened;  and  God  regarded  him  as  being  a  right- 
eous man. 

Now,  that  which  holds  true  of  Abraham  holds  true 


188 

of  us  also,  if  we  have  the  same  faith.  Then  God  counts 
us  as  righteous.  We  believe,  as  did  Abraham,  in  God, 
who  quickens  the  dead.  God  raised  our  Lord  Jesus 
from  the  dead;  who  died  to  atone  for  our  sins,  and 
was  raised  again,  in  order  that  we  through  faith  in  Him 
might  stand  justified  before  the  judgment  seat,  and  that 
God  might  see  us  in  the  same  light  in  which  he  saw 
Abraham. 

b.    Proof  Furnished  by  Christian  Expkrience*^(5;  l-ll). 
Our  Gracious  Communion  with   God. 

From  the  time  of  our  being  justified  by  faith  we  have 
peace  with  God  through  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  There- 
by we  have  access  to  that  gracious  communion  with  God 
in  which  we  now  live.  And  this  grace  and  peace  where- 
in we  daily  stand  fills  us  with  joy,  and  we  count  our- 
selves happy  in  the  sure  hope  of  glory.  This  hope  sup- 
ports us  in  all  the  trials  of  life;  for  we  feel  our  hearts 
filled  with  the  love  of  God  through  the  Holy  Spirit, 
given  us  to  be  our  help.  God  has  showered  upon  us 
the  greatest  love  which  it  is  possible  to  imagine.  At 
the  appointed  time  Christ  died  for  us,  who  were  not 
righteous  men — for  a  good  friend  one  might  give  his 
life — ^but  we  were  sinners,  ungodly.  But  if  our  Lord 
Jesus  could  by  His  death  reconcile  us  to  God,  while  we 
were  sinners,  how  much  more  must  He  now,  that  He 
lives  at  the  right  hand  of  the  Father,  have  power  to  give 
eternal  life  and  salvation  to  us,  who  are  reconciled  to 
God.  Therefore  we  boast,  not  of  our  deeds,  but  of  our 
God,  who  of  His  mercy  through  the  atonement  of  Christ 
gives  us  eternal  salvation. 

Thus  Christian  experience,  also,  shows  us  the  truth 
of  Paul's  Gospel  preaching:  that  we  are  justified  by 
faith. 


1S9 


c.    Proof  from  a  Comparison,  or  Contrast,  Between 
Adam    and   Christ   (5:12-21). 

Sin  and  Death. 

5 :  12-17.  We  are  justified  by  faith,  because  Jesus 
has  with  His  blood  atoned  for  our  sins.  But  this  Cov- 
enant of  grace  in  Jesus  corresponds  precisely  to  the 
fall  in  Adam. 

Through  the  guilt  of  one  man,  Adam,  sin  entered 
the  world;  and  with  it  came  the  punishment,  namely 
death,  into  the  world.  From  that  time  these  two,  sin 
and  death,  are  inseparable  companions.  All  men  sin ; 
therefore  all  must  die.  By  the  fall  of  Adam  all  came 
under  the  power  of  sin,  and  thus  also  under  its  punish- 
ment 

With  this  connection  between  sin  and  death  the  Law 
has  nothing  to  do;  for  sin  came  into  the  world  long 
before  the  Law  was  given  to  Moses.  That  which  makes 
sin  sinful  is  not,  then,  that  it  violates  a  commandment 
of  the  Law ;  and  punishment  was  not  a  punishment  for 
the  violation  of  a  law  not  yet  given.  One  is  not  pun- 
ished for  violating  a  law  which  does  not  exist. 

But  death  is  from  the  beginning  the  appointed 
punishment  for  sin,  and  such  it  has  remained.  Since 
the  fall  of  Adam  sin  has  come  like  a  deadly  infection 
and  poisoned  the  whole  human  family.  Thus  all  the 
children  of  Adam  must  die,  even  though  they  did  not 
sin  in  exactly  the  same  manner;  such  far-reaching  re- 
sults did  the  sin  of  Adam  have.  But  the  first  Adam  is 
a  prototype  of  the  second  Adam,  who  was  to  come  and 
be  the  founder  of  a  new  generation  of  men. 

Life  and  Righteousness. 

As  the  fall  of  Adam  brought  so  much  misery  upon 
all  men,  so  the  act  of  grace  and  love  which  God  per- 
formed by  the  one  man  Jesus  Christ  must  be  even  more 


190 

far-reaching  in  its  results.  The  sin  of  Adam  having 
brought  upon  us  the  judgment  of  condemnation,  the 
gift  of  grace  must  bring  the  opposite,  that  is,  a  verdict 
of  acquittal.  Thus  if  death  reigned  over  the  generation 
of  Adam  because  of  the  sin  of  the  ancestor,  the  grace 
and  righteousness  in  Christ  must  even  more  shed  their 
rich  abundance  over  the  generation  of  Christ,  giving 
them  life  and  power  over  all  things.  With  Christ  the 
history  of  mankind  is  turned  into  a  new  channel;  there 
is  bom  a  new  generation  of  men,  the  generation  of 
believers. 

SUMMARY. 

5:18-21.  In  these  verses  the  apostle  sums  up  the 
deep  thoughts  just  presented.  As  the  guilty  act  of  one 
man  caused  God  to  pronounce  the  judgment  of  condem- 
nation on  all  men,  so  the  righteous  act  of  one  man 
has  caused  God  to  pronounce  the  life-giving  verdict  of 
righteousness  over  all  men.  And  in  like  manner  as  the 
many  came  to  stand  as  sinners  condemned  to  death  by 
the  disobedience  of  one,  so  shall  also  the  many  be 
counted  as  righteous  by  the  obedience  of  one. 

In  other  words :  The  merciful  grace  of  God  em- 
braces all  who  are  touched  by  the  ravages  of  sin ;  Christ 
builds  up  again  all  that  which  Adam  destroyed.  In 
other  passages  the  apostle  explains  how  the  individual 
sinner  is  to  become  a  partaker  of  this  grace.  Here  his 
purpose  is  to  point  out  and  emphasize  that  the  way 
of  salvation  is  open  to  all  sinners. 

With  this  matter  the  Law  has  nothing  to  do ;  the  Law 
can  not  save.  Far  be  it  from  that.  Much  more  it  came, 
siding  with  sin,  in  order  that  its  many  precepts  might 
show  us  the  terrible  power  of  sin.  But  where  sin 
abounded,  grace  did  even  more  abound.  God  has  so 
directed  things,  that  where  sin  uses  its  power  to  bring 
death  to  the  sinner,  there  the  grace  of  God  proves  itself 
as  having  still  greater  power;  for  it  is  able  to  bring  us 


191 

that  righteousness  which  gives  eternal  life  through  Jesus 
Christ  our  Lord. 

Here  ends  this  strong  section  of  the  letter  to  the 
Romans.  The  apostle  has  in  a  unique  religious-his- 
torical review  shown  us  the  struggle  between  grace  and 
salvation  on  the  one  hand  and  sin  and  death  on  the 
other.  He  has  pointed  out  how  God  has  guided  events 
to  bring  about  victory  for  the  forces  of  life  and  sal- 
vation. The  last  verse  is  a  song  of  triumph  to  the 
praise  of  God's  love  and  the  riches  of  his  grace.  The 
power  of  sin  is  great ;  but  the  power  of  grace  is  iiu- 
measurably  greater. 

4.  THE  NEW  LIFE  (6-8). 

The  apostle  has  pictured  to  his  readers  the  lost  con- 
dition of  all  men,  the  Gentiles  without  the  Law,  and  the 
Jews  with  their  Law  and  Circumcision.  All  must  be 
lost,  for  none  can  save  himself.  But  now  God  has  re- 
vealed his  righteousness,  which  He  gives  to  all  who 
accept  it  in  faith.  In  the  last  two  chapters  which  we 
have  considered  the  apostle  shows  that  only  such  a  way 
of  salvation  is  in  accord  with  the  Word  of  God  and  his 
dealings  with  the  individual  and  with  humanity ;  and  he 
defines  the  mutual  relation  of  God  and  the  believer. 
In  the  following  chapters  he  shows  the  effect  of  this 
justification  on  our  inner  life  and  our  conversation. 

a.    B^uE^vERS  Are;  by  the;  Grace;  in  Christ  Made  Free; 
PROM  THE  Power  of  Sin  (6:1—7:6). 

Christians  Are  Through  Baptism  Dead  Unto  Sin. 

6 :  1-14.  As  we  have  seen,  the  enemies  of  the  apostle 
claimed  that  his  teaching  encouraged  people  to  lead  an 
immoral  life.  Here  we  again  collide  with  this  idea. 
The  apostle  asks  if  it  is  right  to  construe  his  teaching 
concerning  the  free  grace  of  God  as  meaning  that  we 


192 

should  sin  the  more  in  order  to  give  God  the  better  op- 
portunity to  show  His  mercy.  And  the  answer  of  the 
apostle  is  short  and  clear  and  sharp :  ''God  forbid."  We 
Christians  are  dead  unto  sin,  and  so  it  is  not  possible 
that  we  can  live  therein.  In  Baptism  we  were  most  inti- 
mately united  with  Jesus,  our  Savior.  But  to  have  part 
in  Jesus  means  first  of  all  to  have  part  in  His  death  and 
burial.  When  Jesus  died  we  died;  and  when  He  was 
buried  we  were  buried.  With  the  death  and  burial  of 
Jesus  His  earthly  relations  with  sin  were  closed;  and 
thereby  our  life  in  sin  is  closed  also.  We  are  dead  and 
buried  with  Jesus.  But  when  we  are  united  with  our 
Savior  in  Baptism  we  must  have  part  also  in  His  resur- 
rection. When  God  raised  Him  from  the  dead  Christ 
entered  on  an  entirely  new  life.  When  our  Savior  arose 
from  the  dead  we  arose  with  Him;  and  when  He  re- 
ceived the  new  life  we  received  it  also.  Into  this  union 
with  Jesus  we  have  come  through  Baptism.  We  are 
dead  from  sin  through  the  union  with  Jesus,  and  there- 
by we  also  have  received  a  new  life  with  Him.  When 
He  suffered  Himself  to  be  nailed  to  the  cross  we  also 
were  crucified.  Our  ''old  man" — that  is,  the  natural 
man,  with  his  life,  natural  leanings  and  purpose — was 
then  crucified,  that  we  may  no  more  live  the  old  life  in 
bondage  to  sin.  None  is  a  bondman  after  his  death. 
If  we  are  dead  with  Christ,  God  has  declared  us  free 
from  bondage  under  sin;  and  we  shall  live  with  Him 
the  life  which  He  lives,  the  life  eternal ;  for  He  dies  no 
more.  Christ  has  put  sin  and  death  behind  Him  in 
order  to  take  eternal  life  as  His  own.  Now  He  lives 
unto  God.  Our  baptismal  union  with  Christ  therefore 
means  that  we  in  Him  are  dead  unto  sin  and  live  unto 
God.  For  this  reason  Christians  must  guard  against 
following  the  lusts  of  the  flesh,  and  coming  again  under 
the  bondage  of  sin.  They  are  translated  from  death  to 
life,  and  thus  they  must  fight  for  God  with  the  weapon 


193 

of  righteousness,  and  remember  that  the  power  of  sin  is 
broken.  For  they  are  no  longer  bound  fast  to  sin  by 
the  bonds  of  the  Law  (see  5:20)  ;  but  of  God's  grace 
they  are  free  men  through  their  union  with  Christ,  the 
dead  and  risen  Savior. — The  life  of  the  Christian  is  a 
life  in  holiness. 

Christian  Liberty  Must  Not  Be  Abused. 

6:  15-23.  The  apostle  repeats  the  question  which  he 
asked  in  verse  1,  and  again  answers  emphatically  no; 
and  then  he  proceeds  to  explain  more  fully  what  is 
meant  by  his  doctrine  concerning  sin  and  grace.  It.  is 
the  nature  of  man  to  serve  something  or  somebody. 
Either  he  serves  sin,  and  the  end  is  death ;  or  he  follows 
the  will  of  God  in  order  to  obtain  righteousness. 

Thank  God,  the  Christians  have  made  the  right 
choice.  Having  been  made  free  from  the  power  of  sin, 
they  cheerfully  become  the  servants  of  righteousness, 
even  as  Paul  had  presented  the  matter  to  them.  But 
this  doctrine  of  Christian  liberty  must  not  be  misunder- 
stood or  abused, — a  thing  which  is  very  easily  done. 
They  can  not  serve  both  sin  and  righteousness,  but.  must 
serve  either  one  or  the  other.  Once  they  were  the  ser- 
vants of  uncleanness,  and  so  their  life  itself  was  unclean. 
Now  that  they  have  become  Christians,  they  must  obey 
the  will  of  God,  and  their  life  must  be  a  life  in  holiness. 
When  they  were  in  the  bondage  of  sin  they  were  free 
from  righteousness.  But  the  fruit  of  such  a  life  was 
something  of  which  to  be  ashamed;  for  the  end  of  it 
was  death.  But  now  that  they  are  free  from  sin,  and 
have  become  servants  of  God,  the  fruit  is  one  of  which 
they  need  not  be  ashamed,  namely  sanctification ;  and 
the  end  is  eternal  life. 

In  the  war  waged  by  sin  the  soldier  receives  death 
as  his  wages.  But  the  free  gift  which  God  gives  His 
sen'ants  is  Jesus  Christ,  and  in  Him  eternal  life. 


194 


By  Death  the  Christian  Is  Discharged  from  His  Duty 
Under  the  La%v. 

7 :  1-6.  The  apostle  now  turns  to  the  Jewish  con- 
verts. He  wants  especially  them  fully  to  understand  his 
Gospel.  Naturally,  they  found  it  difficult  to  grasp  his 
statement  concerning  freedom  from  the  Law,  and  to 
take  the  full  step  from  life  under  the  Law  over  into  the 
estate  of  Christian  liberty.  The  matter  seemed  doubt- 
ful to  them;  and  the  apostle  must  explain  it  again  and 
again  in  order  to  give  them  the  full  assurance  of  faith. 
This  question  of  Law  and  liberty  is  one  which  every 
man,  passing  over  from  death  to  life,  must  settle  in  his 
own  experience:  From  sin  through  Law  and  death,  to 
Christ  with  life  and  liberty. 

We  all  understand  that  no  law  can  be  of  force  be- 
yond the  time  of  one's  death.  By  death  every  duty 
under  the  law  is  ended,  as  under  the  law  concerning 
marriage.  While  the  husband  lives  the  wife  is  bound 
to  him  by  the  law ;  but  when  he  dies  she  is  free,  and 
may,  without  being  faithless,  contract  a  new  marriage. 

So  it  is  with  the  Christians.  When  Christ  died  we 
died  also.  Then  we  were  discharged  from  the  Law ; 
and  we  can  in  honor  give  ourselves  wholly  to  Christ, 
and  in  communion  with  our  risen  Savior  bring  forth  fruit 
unto  God.  This  we  did  not  do  while  we  were  in  bond- 
age under  the  Law.  Then  we  were  the  slaves  of  sin 
also;  for  the  two  go  hand  in  hand  (see  6:  14  and  5  :  20"). 
The  Law  aroused  the  sinful  passions  in  our  members, 
and  death  harvested  the  fruit.  But  now  that  we  are 
Christians,  we  are  dead  unto  the  Law,  and  thus  free  of 
it.  We  have,  then,  nothing  more  to  do  with  the  bondage 
of  Judaism  under  the  letter  of  the  Law.  There  is  now 
a  new  force  controlling  our  lives — the  Holv  Spirit  of 
God. 


195 

b.    As  Long  as  Man  Is  Under  the:  Powe^r  o?  the:  Law, 
He  Also  Is  Under  the  Power  of  Sin  (7:7-25). 

The  Law  Does  Not  Make  Free;  It  Enslaves. 

7 :  1-13.  This  statement  by  the  apostle  concerning 
the  close  relation  between  the  Law  and  sin  was  one  at 
which  the  Jews  were  deeply  offended.  To  them  it  seemed 
as  if  Paul  taught  that  the  Law  was  sin,  or  that  it  was 
at  fault.  This  objection,  also,  he  must  meet;  and  he 
repudiates  their  conclusion  as  not  warranted  by  the 
premises.  The  fault  is  not  in  the  Law.  Out  of  his  own 
experiences  he  outlines  the  Law  and  its  purpose: 

I  had  never  known  the  power  of  evil  except  through 
the  Law.  If  the  Law  had  not  said:  "Thou  shalt  not 
covet,"  I  would  never  have  known  how  strong  this  lust 
may  be.  Thus  sin,  through  the  Commandment,  came  to 
excite  in  me  the  desire  to  do  evil.  The  lust  of  sin 
caused  me  to  do  that  which  the  Law  forbids.  On  the 
other  hand,  in  those  things  of  which  the  Law  makes  no 
mention  the  lust  of  sin  is  dead;  it  has  nothing  to  do 
with  them. 

As  a  child  I,  also,  lived  without  being  conscious  of 
the  Law.  But  as  I  grew  older  and  was  instructed  in 
the  Law,  I  found  that  sin  lived  in  me.  Then  the  happy 
days  of  childhood  were  past.  I  died;  and  the  Com- 
mandment, which  promised  me  life,  if  I  kept  it  (see 
Lev.  18 :  5 ) ,  proved  to  be  an  instrument  of  death.  Sin 
took  occasion  by  the  Law  to  lead  me  wrong,  represent- 
ing the  unlawful  as  something  to  be  desired,  and  that 
which  brings  ruin  as  something  profitable.  In  that  way 
sin,  through  the  Commandment,  gave  me  into  the  power 
of  death,  and  killed  me. 

So  the  fault  is  not  in  the  Law;  it  has  done  me  no 
evil.  It  could  not;  for  it  is  God  who  has  given  it;  and 
therefore  the  Law  and  all  its  Commandments  are  holy, 
righteous  and  good.     That  which  has  brought  death  to 


196 

me  is  sin,  not  the  Law.  God  gave  me  the  Command- 
ments, in  order  that  my  eyes  might  be  opened,  that 
I  might  see  how  terrible  a  danger  sin  is ;  it  puts  me  to 
death.  The  Commandment  was  to  show  me  the  inner- 
most nature  of  sin.  It  is  death,  said  the  Law,  when- 
ever the  lust  of  sin  seduced  me  into  violating  the  Com- 
mandments. 

The  War  in  the  Christian  Between  the  ''Flesh"  and  the 
''Mind." 

7 :  14—25.  I  and  all  other  Christians  have  in  the 
school  of  life  learnt  to  understand  that  it  is  God's  Spirit 
who  speaks  to  me  through  the  Law;  and  for  my  good. 
The  reason  for  the  pain  which  I  experience  is  not  in 
the  Law,  but  in  myself.  I  am  -fiesh ;  and  in  this  my 
corrupt,  sinful,  weak  human  nature  I  am  wholly  in  the 
power  of  sin ;  I  am  the  slave  of  sin.  Such  is  now  my 
experience.  I  wish  to  do  one  thing,  but  I  do  something 
widely  different.  Thus  I  bear  witness  with  the  Law 
that  it  is  good.  This  being  so,  it  is  not,  strictly  speak- 
ing, "I  myself"  who  does  evil,  but  it  is  the  sin  which 
dwells  in  me.  That  is  the  cause  of  my  weakness,  and 
makes  use  of  it. 

This,  then,  is  my  sad  experience :  In  me,  that  is  in 
my  flesh,  dwells  no  good  thing.  My  *'self"  is  corrupt 
to  the  bone.  I  have  the  will  to  do  good,  but  it  is  power- 
less.    Evil,  sin,  which  dwells  in  me,  has  control. 

Thus  I  see  that  there  is  in  me  a  double  nature.  One 
impulse  is  to  delight  in  the  Law  of  God,  and  to  do  that 
which  is  good;  but  with  this  there  is  another,  over- 
powering impulse,  which  wars  against  the  first,  and  ir- 
resistibly masters  me.  The  first  is  of  my  "mind" ;  the 
other  rules  my  conduct.  I  am  dragged  on  like  a 
chained  prisoner  of  war.  As  long  as  I  am  in  this  body 
of  death  I  can  not  escape  this  awful  war.  Who  shall 
deliver  me  from  this  miserable  existence? 


197 

God  be  praised.  While  I  have  reason  to  complain 
and  to  long  for  deliverance,  feeling,  as  I  do  in  this  life, 
the  mighty  power  of  sin  in  my  corrupt  nature;  I  also 
have  abundant  reason  to  thank  God,  that  my  "mind," 
set  free  through  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  is  become  God's 
obedient  servant. 

The  apostle  has  now  shown  us  how  helpless  man  is 
when  left  to  his  own  devices.  Neither  the  Law  nor 
man's  own  strength  can  help  him.  Man  is  the  certain 
prey  of  death. — Then  comes  the  joyous  contrast :  There 
is  no  condemnation  to  them  that  are  in  Christ  Jesus. 
On  the  one  side  the  despairing  cry :  Wretched  man  that 
I  am ;  left  to  myself ;  standing  on  the  verge  of  the  pit, 
looking  into  the  terrible  jaws  of  death,  which  would 
swallow  me.  On  the  other  side:  A  happy  life,  an  open 
Heaven.  God  be  praised  through  Jesus  Christ  our 
Lord. 

c.    The  New  Life  in  Christ.  Is  a  Life  in  the  Spirit 
OF  Christ  (8:1-30). 

God  Does  That  Which  the  Law  Could  Not  Do. 

8:  I-IL  No  condemnation  awaits  those  who  through 
faith  and  Baptism  are  united  with  Christ  Jesus;  while 
the  Law  condemns  all  who  are  outside  of  this  com- 
munion with  Christ,  In  this  communion  with  Christ  I 
have  the  liberty  which  He  has  bought  me;  deliverance 
from  the  power  of  sin  and  death.  An  entirely  new  life 
lies  before  me.  Now  I  am  led  onward  by  the  Spirit 
of  eternal  life,  who  has  quickened  me,  and  has  the  de- 
termining influence  over  my  life.  For  that  which  the 
Law  could  not  do,  God  has  done.  The  Law  could  com- 
mand, but  the  "flesh"  made  it  powerless.  Law  could  not 
conquer  over  sin.  But  God  did  it  in  an  entirely  dif- 
ferent way.  He  sent  His  Son  to  our  earth,  and  gave 
Him  a  body;  such  as  our  bodies,  in  which  sin  exercises 


198 

its  power.  It  was  to  atone  for  sin  that  God  did  this; 
and  that  He  might  pronounce  judgment  on  sin  in  the 
flesh.  In  the  flesh  of  Christ  God  executed  the  judg- 
ment of  death  on  sin,  dethroned  sin  as  the  ruUng  force 
in  human  nature,  and  stripped  it  of  its  power.  And 
now  that  could  come  about  which  had  been  impossible: 
The  demands  of  God's  Law  could  be  fulfilled  in  us. 
For  through  our  coming  into  communion  with  Christ, 
the  Spirit  of  God  is  become  the  living  force  in  our  life. 
This  was  God's  purpose.  So  there  is  among  men  a 
great  difference  in  their  whole  scheme  of  life.  They 
who  do  not  belong  to  Christ  desire  to  follow  the  lusts 
of  the  flesh.  But  sin  reigns  in  the  flesh,  and  it  wants  to 
do  only  that  which  is  contrary  to  the  will  and  Law  of 
God.  It  is  not  in  this  nature  to  do  otherwise.  But  God 
can  not  have  pleasure  in  him  who  lives  in  this  wise, 
and  the  end  of  it  is  death.  They,  on  the  other  hand, 
who  allow  themselves  to  be  led  by  the  Spirit  of  God 
have  their  joy  in  that  which  is  of  the  Spirit:  life  in  God, 
and  peace  with  God.  Christians  do  not  live  according 
to  the  desires  of  the  flesh;  they  live  in  the  Spirit  of 
God,  who  dwells  in  them,  and  directs  their  life;  and 
only  these  belong  to  Christ.  To  be  sure,  the  body  of 
the  Christian  is  mortal,  for  sin  still  dwells  in  it ;  but  the 
new  spiritual  man  can  not  die,  as  through  righteousness 
he  is  the  owner  of  life.  Even  the  body  can  not  remain 
dead  always.  For  if  the  Spirit  of  God,  who  raised  Christ 
from  the  dead,  dwells  in  us,  our  bodies,  also,  must 
arise  from  the  grave,  that  the  whole  man  with  body 
and  soul  may  live  in  everlasting  bliss  with  God. 

The  Bondman  and  the  Child. 

8:  12-17.  We  have,  then,  no  obligations  toward  the 
flesh;  for  to  follow  its  desires  is  death.  But  if  by  the 
Spirit  of  God  we  put  to  death  the  life  in  sin,  we  have 
life  eternal.     God's  children  shall  live.     Now,  the  proof 


199 

that  we  are  the  children  of  God  is  this,  that  in  our  life 
we  are  led  by  the  Spirit  of  God.  The  Spirit  which 
God  gave  us  is  not  the  spirit  of  bondage,  which  would 
make  us  to  continue  in  fear  of  death  and  the  judgment. 
But  we  received  the  spirit  of  adoption  as  children,  so 
that  we  may  confidently  and  gladly  trust  our  all  in  the 
hands  of  our  heavenly  Father.  This  spirit  of  adoption 
is  not  an  empty  dream,  but  something  real,  resting  on 
the  testimony  of  the  Spirit  of  God  in  our  heart.  But 
if  children,  then  we  are  heirs  of  God.  We  shall  divide 
the  inheritance  with  Christ,  our  Brother.  Even  if  we 
here  must  suffer  for  a  time,  glory  awaits  us.  As  the  lot 
of  Christ  is,  so  shall  ours  be. 

Creation  Is  Waiting  for  the  Liberty  of  God's  Children. 

8 :  18-27.  It  may  be  a  heavy  road  we  have  to  travel 
here  below ;  but  this  suffering  is  as  nothing  compared 
with  the  resplendent  glory  awaiting  us.  To  reach  this 
is  the  longing  and  yearning  of  all  creation.  Now  it 
groans  in  pain  under  the  yoke  of  corruption,  which  God 
laid  upon  it  for  the  sake  of  man's  sin.  But  at  the  same 
time  it  is  hoping  for  the  liberty  which  God's  children 
are  to  receive  on  the  day  of  glory.  Then  shall  creation 
also  be  delivered  from  the  bondage  of  corruption. 

God's  Children  Are  Waiting. 

A  still  deeper  groan  is  ascending  to  God;  the  groan 
rising  from  the  hearts  of  His  children.  God  has  given 
us  His  Spirit  as  the  first  installment  of  our  inheritance. 
We  are  waiting,  therefore,  for  the  remainder  of  the 
heritage,  including  the  redemption  of  our  body.  We 
own  all  now  in  hope.  The  greatest  and  best  part  of  our 
inheritance  is  not  yet  ours.  This,  then,  we  await  with 
patience. 


200 

The  Spirit  of  God  Is  Waiting. 

The  Spirit  also  is  waiting  for  this  consummation,  and 
teaches  us  to  pray  as  God  wants  us  to  pray.  Often  we 
can  not  put  our  longing  into  words;  but  that  is  of  no 
importance.  For  the  omniscient  God  knows  the  mean- 
ing of  the  unuttered  longing  which  the  Spirit  has  put 
into  our  heart.  The  Spirit  makes  intercession  for  God's 
children  before  the  throne  of  grace.  God  has  so  or- 
dered it. 

God's  Eternal  Poreordination. 

8 :  28-30.  The  stir  est  proof,  however,  that  we  are 
to  reach  the  heavenly  glory  is  this,  that  God  has  so  de- 
cided in  his  eternal  decree.  That  which  sustains  the 
Christian  in  his  times  of  trouble  is  his  assurance  that 
our  salvation  rests  secure  in  the  decree  of  God.  If  God 
has  begun  the  good  work  He  will  know  how  to  finish 
it.  God  will  find  a  way  of  carrying  out  His  plan  of 
salvation.  God  has  so  ordered  it  that  all  things,  even 
afflictions,  must  serve  to  further  the  salvation  of  them 
that  love  God.  These  are  they  whom  God  in  His  eternal 
decree  decided  to  call  as  His  children.  He  foreknew 
them  all,  each  individual  among  them.  And  concerning 
them  He  has  ordained  that  they  are  to  be  conformed  in 
glory  to  the  image  of  His  Son.  That  which  Jesus  re- 
ceived, His  brethren  also  shall  receive.     God  so  wills  it. 

And  that  which  God  has  decreed  He  also  performed ; 
for  there  is  no  wavering  in  Him.  Whom  he  foreknew 
and  forordained,  He  also  called.  And  whom  He  called, 
and  who  in  faith  obeyed  the  call,  them  He  justified ; 
and  whom  He  justified,  them  He  also  glorified. 

.  This  is  God's  great  plan  of  salvation,  which  is  from 
everlasting;  and  it  is  as  sure  as  though  it  were  al- 
ready consummated. 

8:31-39.  Conclusion.  Nothing — no  accusation,  and 
no  judgment  of  condemnation — can  he  laid  to  the  charge 


201 

of  God's  elect;  and  no  power  in  the  ivorld  can  separate 
theni  from  the  love  of  God  in  Christ  Jesus. 

What  result  have  we  now  attained?  asks  the  apostle 
in  conclusion.  As  we  have  heard,  many  charges  had 
been  made  against  his  teaching.  His  opponents  con- 
tended that  it  led  to  sin,  and  that  it  was  condemned  by 
the  Law.  But  the  contention  is  not  true.  Paul's  ex- 
position of  his  doctrine  has  led  to  this  result :  God  is 
for  us.  Who  can  then  be  against  us?  Who  shall  lay 
anything  to  the  charge  of  one  whom  God  defends? 

That  God  is  for  us  is  shown  most  clearly  in  this, 
that  in  the  greatness  of  His  love  He  sacrificed  His  own 
Son  to  save  us ;  and  it  must  then  be  sure  that  He  will 
freely  give  us  all  things  else  necessary  to  our  salvation. 

And  when  God's  elect  are  pronounced  righteous  by 
Him,  none  other  can  lay  anything  to  their  charge.  There 
can  be  no  condemnation  for  us,  since  Christ  died  for  us ; 
yea,  rather  was  raised  from  the  dead,  and  now  sits  at 
the  right  hand  of  God,  and  is  our  Advocate  with  the 
Father.  There  is,  then,  no  condemnation  to  them  that 
are  in  Christ  Jesus. 

How  glorious  is  the  Christian  estate !  Nothing  can 
separate  us  from  the  love  of  God  and  of  Christ.  Paul 
here  makes  mention  of  all  the  suffering  and  adversity 
which  may  be  ovir  lot,  and  especially  of  injustice  done 
us  by  others.  Often  it  seems  as  though  God  had  for- 
gotten us.  But,  says  the  apostle,  in  all  this  we  are  more 
than  conquerors.  Nothing  could  separate  us  from  the 
love  of  Christ.  We  remain  victors  through  Him  who 
loved  us.  So  he  closes  with  the  triumphant  declaration: 
Nothing,  nothing  whatever,  shall  be  able  to  separate  us 
from  the  love  of  God,  which  is  in  Christ  Jesus  our  Lord. 

These  words,  with  which  this  section  of  the  letter  is 
brought  to  a  close,  have  been  called  'Taul's  'Song  of 
Songs'."  It  is  one  of  the  most  wonderful  passages  in 
Holy  Writ,  a  true  fount  of  salvation.     Here  is  put  into 


202 

words  an  assurance  of  salvation  which  is  not  of  earth  or 
of  time.  It  is  a  song  of  triumph  over  sin  and  death; 
all  things  must  yield  to  the  spirit  of  life  in  Christ.  With 
this  the  apostle  has  crowned  his  argument  for  the  truth 
of  his  Gospel.  In  the  face  of  this  God-given  assurance, 
all  the  objections  raised  by  the  Jews  and  all  the  doubts 
harbored  by  the  Jewish  converts  must  fall  to  the 
ground.  It  is  the  sun  of  God's  righteousness  whose 
rays  dispel  all  the  dark  clouds,  and  fill  the  Christian 
heart  with  the  joy  of  Heaven. 


II.    FOR   THE   JEWS   FIRST,   AND   THEN    FOR 
THE  GREEKS  (9-11). 

The  apostle  has  now  set  forth  the  plan  of  salvation 
in  all  its  perfected  glory  and  unerring  certainty.  This 
Gospel  raised  many  doubts  among  the  Jewish  Christians, 
and  the  Jews  made  war  on  it  with  all  their  might. 

Besides,  the  Jews  were  ofifended  by  the  success  of 
Paul's  missionary  work;  and  many  of  the  Jewish  Chris- 
tians also  looked  upon  this  work  with  serious  shakings  of 
the  head.  For  it  developed  that  the  Gentiles  were  coming 
to  be  much  more  numerous  than  the  Jewish  converts  in 
the  Christian  Churches.  Was  this  right?  This  state  of 
afifairs  might  lead  to  the  result  that  the  Gentile  Christ- 
ians would  look  down  on  the  Jews  as  a  wicked  and  in- 
ferior people.  The  apostle  now  takes  this  up,  and  sets 
forth  the  truth  of  the  matter. 

1.   THE   JEWS   HAVE   MISUNDERSTOOD   GOD'S 
PROMISES  (9:1-29). 

Paul  Has  Great  Sorrow  for  His  People^. 

9:  1-5,  The  apostle  has  sorrow  and  bitter  pain  in 
thinking  of  his   own   people.     God  had   showered   His 


203 

favors  upon  them  with  incredible  lavishness,  and  had 
now  at  last  let  His  own  Son,  who  is  true  God  with  the 
Father,  be  born  as  one  of  the  Jewish  people.  In  spite 
of  all  this  the  Jews  have  not  been  saved,  but  have  hard- 
ened their  hearts  against  the  grace  of  the  Gospel. 

The  Jews  Thought  That  as  Descendants  of  Abraham 

They  Were  the  Rightful  Owners  of  the  Promises 

of  God. 

9 :  6-13.  The  Jevv  s  did  not  understand  the  Word  of 
God;  and  thus  they  did  not  now  see  that  the  promises 
were  fulfdled.  They  had  invented  their  own  special 
theories  and  doctrinal  system;  and  so  the  Word  of  God 
had  to  be  forced  to  agree  with  their  ideas.  The  one 
thing  certain  to  them  was  that  Israel  was  God's  chosen 
people;  and  it  was  to  this  people  that  God  had  given  all 
His  promises.  The  descendants  of  Abraham  were  of 
this  people,  they  and  none  others.  This  was  what  they 
found  in  Scripture.  But  now  Paul  takes  up  this  Sacred 
Book,  and  proves  that  they  have  completely  misunder- 
stood God's  Word.  It  is  not  the  descent  from  Abraham 
which  makes  one  a  true  Israelite  and  heir  to  the  prom- 
ises of  God.  This  was  made  plain  even  when  God  gave 
to  Abraham  the  promise  concerning  Isaac.  For  Abra- 
ham had  then  many  sons ;  and  had  God  counted  their  de- 
scent from  Abraham  after  the  flesh  as  the  one  important 
thing,  these  sons  ought  first  to  have  been  counted  his 
heirs;  nevertheless  Isaac  was  the  "child  of  the  promise," 
and  was  to  be  the  father  of  Israel.  Descent  from  Abra- 
ham does  not,  then,  of  itself  necessarily  mean  owner- 
ship of  the  promises.  Worldly  goods  descend  by  in- 
heritance from  father  to  son ;  but  the  promises  of  God 
are  a  different  matter.  These  are  property  of  quite  an- 
other kind. 

The  same  rule  held  good  in  the  next  generation.  The 
promise  did  not  descend  to  the  firstborn  after  the  flesh. 


204 

— Neither  birth  nor  works  can  determine  the  plan  of 
God.  This  He  showed  most  clearly  by  the  decree  that 
Jacob,  the  younger  son,  was  to  take  over  the  right  of 
the  firstborn,  and  thus  inherit  the  promise,  while  the 
elder  brother  was  to  be  the  servant  of  the  younger. 
The  reason  gi_ven  is  this,  that  God  loved  Jacob,  but 
hated  Esau.  Thus  God  had  made  clear  that  He  will 
be  bound  by  nothing  of  earth,  but  will  be  free  to  adopt 
as  His  children  any  whom  He  in  His  wisdom  and  love 
may  elect. 

God's  Fore  ordination  Can  Never  Be  Unjust. 

9:  14-16.  But,  one  may  ask,  is  not  this  an  injustice 
on  the  part  of  God?  Paul  repudiates  any  such  sugges- 
tion. Injustice — on  the  part  of  God  !  God's  fore  ordina- 
tion can  never  he  unjust  or  unrighteous.  Such  a  thing 
is  unthinkable.  God  is  not  a  fickle  tyrant.  Our  election 
is  in  the  hands  of  Him  who  is  compassionate  and  gra- 
cious, long-suffering  and  rich  in  mercy.  Had  God  de- 
cided that  they  only  who  are  descendants  of  Abraham 
after  the  flesh,  were  to  inherit  the  promise,  this  would 
have  been  unjust  to  the  others.  And  if  God  had  limited 
His  mercy  to  certain  individuals  of  especially  strong 
and  enterprising  character,  this  would  have  been  unjust 
to  the  many  who  are  not  so  well  equipped,  and  who 
could  not  have  made  the  race.  No,  if  God  is  to  be  just 
toward  all.  His  merciful  love  must  not  depend  on  any- 
thing of  this  earth,  but  solely  on  His  own  will  and 
power  to  save. 

God  Is  Just,  Bven  When  He  Hardens  Whom  He  Will. 

9:17-18.  We  reach  the  same  result  if  we  look  at 
the  matter  from  the  opposite  direction.  As  God  has 
mercy  on  whom  He  will,  so  He  also  hardens  whom  He 
will.     In  both  cases  He  acts  with  righteousness.     This 


205 

appears  in  the  history  of  Pharaoh.  God  raised  him  up 
in  order  to  show  in  him  the  power  of  God;  that  all  men 
might  see  that  even  earth's  mightiest  king  is  powerless 
to  prevent  God  from  carrying  out  His  plan  of  salvation. 
Thus  God  has  mercy  upon  whom  He  will,  and  hardens 
whom  He  will.  The  very  fact  that  God's  will  is 
supreme,  is  the  surest  guaranty  against  all  manner  of 
injustice  and  of  acting  without  purpose;  for  there  is  no 
such  thing  as  unrighteousness  of  any  sort  in  God  (9: 
14),  A  man's  fate  can  be  in  no  better  hands  than  in 
the  hands  of  God. 

God's  Decree  of  Election  Is  in  the  Service  of  His 
Saving  Love. 

9:  19-29.  Against  that  which  Paul  here  says  might 
be  raised  the  objection,  that  man's  responsibility  then 
ceases;  for  none  can  withstand  the  will  of  God.  To 
this  the  apostle  answers  that  it  is  not  seemly  for  any 
man  thus  to  reply  against  God.  For  as  against  God, 
man  is  merely  like  clay  in  the  hands  of  the  potter.  The 
potter  has  a  right  over  the  clay  to  make  it  into  any  kind 
of  a  vessel.  Thus  God  has  the  same  right  and  power,  if 
He  wishes  to  use  them.  God  has,  however,  not  chosen 
to  crush  those  who  have  aroused  His  anger,  and  were 
fit  for  nothing  but  to  be  cast  out  from  His  face;  but 
He  has  endured  them  with  much  long-suffering.  And 
this  He  did,  in  order  that  He  might  make  known  to 
those  whom  He  has  fitted  for  the  glory,  how  infinitely 
great  that  glory  is  which  He  has  prepared  for  them  on 
whom  He  has  had  mercy.  And  in  choosing  us  to  he 
such  vessels  of  mercy  God  has  not  taken  into  account 
whether  we  were  Jews  or  Gentiles.  This  is  just  and 
merciful,  and  none  has  any  right  to  complain.  Thus 
God  has  kept  His  promise  through  the  prophet  Hosea, 
to  make  the  heathen  His  chosen  people,  His  beloved 
children.     God   has   also   foretold   through   the   prophet 


206 

Isaiah  that  only  a  small  remnant  of  Israel  shall  be  saved. 
Had  not  God  in  His  mercy  preserved  this  remnant  of 
the  faithful  among  the  Israelites,  all  Israel  would  have 
suffered  the  fate  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah. 

2.   THE  CONDEMNATION  OF  THE  JEWS  IS  THEIR 
OWN   FAULT    (9:30—10:20). 

The  Salvation  of  the  Gentiles  Is  No   Violation   of  the 
Rights  of  the  Jews. 

9 :  30-33.  When  the  Christian  Churches  mostly  con- 
sist of  Gentile  converts,  and  have  but  few  Jews,  this 
state  of  affairs  is  in  full  accord  with  that  which  God 
had  foretold.  Israel  had  been  warned  many  times ; 
therefore  no  injustice  has  been  done  them.  It  is  their 
own  fault  that  not  all  of  them  have  become  partakers  of 
the  promise.  It  is  this  which  the  apostle  now  wishes 
to  make  clear. 

When  the  Gentiles,  who  did  nothing  whatever  to  at- 
tain to  righteousness  before  God,  still  did  reach  it, 
while  the  Jews  fell  short  in  spite  of  all  their  efforts; 
this  is  to  be  explained  by  the  circumstance  that  the 
Gentiles  were  willing  to  attain  righteousness  in  the  only 
way  possible,  that  is,  by  receiving  it  in  faith  as  a  gift  of 
God.  The  Israelites,  on  the  other  hand,  wanted  to  earn 
their  own  righteousness  by  keeping  the  Commandments. 
Thus  they  collided  with  the  Stone  of  Stumbling,  Christ ; 
whom  God  had  given  to  the  Jews,  that  they  might  be 
saved  by  Him.  But  they  rejected  Him;  and  it  was  with 
them  even  as  it  is  written:  They  did  not  believe  in 
Him,  and  their  unbelief  caused  their  downfall. 

7^he  Jews  Wish  to  Bring  About  llieir  Own 
Righteousness. 

10:  1-4.  It  is  the  apostle's  great  sorrow  in  life  that 
such  is  to  be  the  fate  of  his  own  people;  and  he  all  the 


207 

time  prays  for  their  salvation.  He  sees  that  they  strive 
continually  to  become  righteous  before  God.  They  can 
not  understand,  and  will  not  follow  that  way  of  right- 
eousness which  God  has  pointed  out  to  them.  Nor  do 
they  understand  the  Lazv;  for  its  true  purpose  is  to 
drive  men  to  Christ,  in  order  that  through  faith  in  Him 
they  may  receive  righteousness  as  a  free  gift. 

The  Righteousness  by  Way  of  the  Law,  and  the 
Righteousness  Which  Is  of  faith. 

10:  4—13.  Between  the  way  of  the  Law  and  the  way 
of  faith  in  the  attainment  of  righteousness  there  is  a 
very  wide  difference.  The  Law  says:  Do  these  things, 
and  you  shall  live.  But  the  righteousness  of  faith  does 
not  demand  of  us  the  impossible.  It  points  to  Christ, 
who  came  down  to  us  from  Heaven,  and  is  risen  from 
the  dead;  and  it  says,  that  if  in  your  heart  you  believe 
on  Jesus,  and  confess  Him  with  your  mouth,  you  are 
righteous  and  shall  be  saved.  This  salvation  is  offered 
to  all,  Jew  and  Greek;  for  Jesus  is  the  Lord  and  Savior 
of  all.  His  love  is  great  enough  to  save  all  who  cry  to 
Him  in  their  trouble,  as  the  prophet  Joel  has  said. 

Israel  Has  Heard  the  Word  of  Faith,  But  Has 
Rejected  It. 

10:  14—21.  To  believe  on  Jesus,  then,  and  to  call 
upon  His  name,  is  the  way  in  which  to  beco^ne  righteous 
before  God.  But  had  the  Jews  been  given  the  oppor- 
tunity to  hear  of  Jesus,  that  they  might  come  to  Him? 
They  most  certainly  had; — and  with  the  outcome  which 
Isaiah  had  prophesied.  God  has  sent  His  messengers 
with  the  Good  News  to  every  part  of  the  world  where 
Jews  are  to  be  found.  They  can  not  make  the  excuse 
that  they  have  not  heard  the  Glad  Tidings.  But,  un- 
fortunately, they  have  made  true  another  statement  by 


208 

the  same  prophet:    They  closed  their  heart  to  the  mes- 
sage.    Thus  they  did  not  come  to  beheve  in  Christ. 

The  Jews  had  been  informed,  also,  that  God  would 
turn  to  the  Gentiles  with  His  Gospel  of  salvation,  in 
order,  if  possible,  to  stir  the  Jews  to  take  serious 
thought  of  the  matter.  But  nothing  came  of  it ;  Israel 
is  a  people  that  will  not  obey.  This  and  nothing  else 
is  the  reason  for  Israel's  condemnation.  But  the  Gen- 
tiles accepted  the  salvation  which  God  revealed  to  them. 
— Thus  are  the  Words  of  the  prophets  fulfilled.  "Read 
the  Holy  Scriptures,"  says  the  apostle  to  the  people  of 
his  own  race,  "and  you  will  see  that  the  ways  of  the 
Lord  are  justice  and  mercy." 

3.  GOD'S  PLANS  FOR  THIS  STUBBORN  PEOPLE 
(11:1-36). 

God  Has  Not  Cast  Off  Israel. 

11:1-10.  We  have  seen  how  Israel  has  behaved 
toward  God;  and  one  might  have  expected  that  God 
would  in  revenge  have  cast  off  his  people.  But  Paul 
declares  that  God  has  not  done  this.  "Of  this  I  am," 
says  he,  "a  living  witness."  God  foreknew  the  people, 
and  yet  he  chose  it  to  be  his  own  people.  This  he  did 
not  do  in  order  to  cast  it  off.  But  it  is  now  as  in  the 
days  of  Elijah.  Then  everything  seemed  so  dark  that 
even  the  Lord's  prophet  was  near  despair.  Yet  even  so 
God  had  preserved  a  remnant,  which  had  remained  loyal 
to  him.  But  God  had  not  chosen  even  these  for  their 
good  works;  but  because  He  had  mercy  on  them. 

The  others  God  has  hardened,  so  that  they  neither 
see  nor  hear.  Israel  is  now  what  it  was  of  old.  This 
has  been  the  plaint  of  the  men  of  God  from  Moses  to 
Isaiah. 


209 

The  Problem  Solved. 

11:11-23.  Are  we  to  understand,  then,  that  God 
has  done  this  in  order  that  they  might  fall?  Of  course 
not.  But  God  let  them  fall  on  account  of  their  ozon 
stubborn  behavior:  and  in  His  wisdom  and  goodness 
God  so  ordered  it  that  their  fall  must  further  His  plan 
of  salvation.  God  now  will  try  a  new  way  of  winning 
them.  He  therefore  turned  with  his  offer  of  salvation 
to  the  Gentiles,  hoping  thereby  to  induce  Israel  again 
to  seek  earnestly  the  favor  of  God.  But  if  the  fall  of 
Israel  brought  the  riches  of  God's  grace  to  the  Gentiles, 
how  much  more  glorious  must  not  the  results  be  when 
Israel  as  a  people  is  saved!  "This,"  says  the  apostle,, 
"is  the  great  purpose  always  before  me.  God  has  made 
me  His  witness  among  the  Gentiles ;  and  it  is  the 
greatest  happiness  of  my  life  to  do  this  work.  But  the 
salvation  of  my  own  people  is  never  out  of  my  thoughts. 
For  if  the  rejestion  of  the  Gospel  by  the  Jews  has 
caused  the  Gentile  world  to  have  a  part  in  the  glorious^ 
gift  of  the  atonement,  then  will  its  acceptance  by  the 
Jews  be  followed  by  the  life  eternal.  For  after  the  con- 
version of  Israel  shall  come  the  end  of  the  world,  and 
thereafter  everlasting  life." 

[Some  understand  this  rather  vague  expression, 
"life  from  the  dead,"  to  mean  a  great  awakening  in  the 
Church  when  Israel  is  saved.] 

God  can  not  have  cast  Israel  off  for  good  and  all.. 
For  if  Abraham,  the  first  fruit  and  root  of  the  people, 
was  holy,  his  people  also  must  be  holy.  That  is,  not 
every  individual  Israelite.  We  have  seen  that  most  of 
them  have  rejected  the  Gospel;  and  so  God  has  cut 
them  off  as  dead  branches  on  the  tree  of  Israel.  They 
were  of  the  seed  of  Abraham,  but  were  not  connected 
with  him  in  the  bond  of  faith,  and  thus  did  not  in  truth 
belong  to  the  people  of  God.  In  their  place  God  has 
chosen  people  of  Gentile  birth  and  made  them  members. 


210 

of  the  true  Israel.  Thus  the  history  of  Israel  is  the 
preface,  as  it  were,  to  the  history  of  Christ's  Church 
among  the  Gentiles.  This  we  Gentile  Christians  must 
not  forget.  Israel  is  the  root,  and  the  Gentiles  are  the 
branches ;  and  the  branches  do  not  nourish  the  root,  but 
are  nourished  by  the  root.  The  Gentiles  must  not  boast 
that  God  has  cast  off  the  Jews  in  order  to  put  the  Gen- 
tiles in  the  vacant  place.  The  reason  for  the  rejection 
of  the  Jews  was  their  unbelief.  God  will  regard  Gen- 
tiles as  His  people,  as  long  as  they  remain  in  the  faith ; 
and  with  fear  realize  that  God  treats  all  alike,  both 
when  He  has  mercy  on  man  and  when  He  casts  him  off. 

The  Great  Purpose  of  God  in  All  That  He  Does  Is  the 
Salvation  of  All. 

11 :  25-36.  If  God  could  graft  the  Gentiles  into  His 
Israel,  He  surely  can  do  it  with  the  Jews  also,  when 
they  turn  to  Him.  God  has  shaped  the  course  of  his- 
tory, and  revealed  His  plan  to  His  apostle;  else  neither 
Paul  nor  any  other  man  could  have  known  anything  of 
these  things.  A  "hardening  in  part  has  befallen  Israel" ; 
and  it  will  continue  until  God  shall  have  led  the  great 
army  of  saved  Gentiles  into  His  Church.  Then  salva- 
tion shall  come  also  to  Israel  as  a  people;  as  it  is  writ- 
ten, that  ''when  Christ,  the  Deliverer,  comes,  He  shall 
turn  away  ungodliness  from  Jacob ;  and  forgiveness  of 
sins  shall  be  the  foundation  of  His  New  Covenant  with 
the  Jewish  people." 

By  reason  of  their  rejection  of  the  Gospel  the  Jews 
are,  to  be  sure,  the  objects  of  God's  anger,  while  salva- 
tion is  given  to  the  Gentiles.  But  as  His  Chosen  People 
God  loves  the  Jews  for  the  sake  of  Abraham,  Isaac  and 
Jacob;  for  He  never  repents  of  His  goodness. 

The  Gentiles  were  in  time  past  disobedient  to  God, 
yet  they  have  obtained  mercy.  Now  the  Jews  are  dis- 
obedient;  and   God  has   given  them  over  to  such   dis- 


211 

obedience,  in  order  that  He  might  thereby  draw  them 
to  Himself,  and  again  cover  them  with  mercy. 

Thus  God  deals  in  the  same  way  with  all;  and  His 
great  purpose  is  salvation  for  both  Jew  and  Gentile. 
Both  are  deep  in  the  mire  of  sin;  and  God  has  shaped 
history  in  such  a  way  that  He  has  gathered  all  together 
into  the  great  mass  of  sinners,  in  order  that  He  might 
show  to  all  the  same  great  mercy. 

Unsearchable  as  are  God's  judgments,  and  His  ways 
past  tracing  out,  it  will  appear  at  last  that  here  is  a 
dept  of  riches  both  of  wisdom  and  mercy,  far  beyond 
our  power  to  understand.  For  of  Him,  and  through 
Him,  and  unto  Him,  are  all  things ;  He  is  the  begin- 
ning and  the  end  of  it  all.  To  Him  be  the  glory  for 
ever.     Amen. 

The  apostle  has  now  unfolded  to  us  this  wonderful 
picture  of  God's  eternal  plan  of  salvation,  and  has 
shown  us  how  God  has  directed  human  history.  Back 
of  this  history  of  the  peoples  stands  the  living  God,  who 
holds  all  the  threads  in  His  hands.  His  ways  are  past 
finding  out,  but  His  aim  is  the  salvation  of  mankind. 

It  is  God's  providence  in  the  history  of  the  peoples 
which  the  apostle  here  sets  forth;  not  the  manner  in 
which  God  leads  the  individual  upward  to  life  and 
salvation.  He  does  not  say  that  Israel  is  to  have  a  po- 
sition of  vantage  in  the  Church  of  the  New  Covenant; 
nor  that  the  Jews  are  to  receive  something  withheld 
from  the  Gentiles.  In  the  New  Covenant  there  is  but 
one  Israel,  the  true,  believing,  spiritual  children  of 
Abraham.  But  God,  who  forgets  none  of  His  creatures, 
will  not  forget  the  Jewish  people.  He  is  the  God  of 
all;  and  He  will  do  everything  possible,  that  the  Jews 
also  may  be  saved.  And  it  shall  come  to  pass.  Before 
the  end  of  the  world  there  will  be  a  great  revival  among 
the  Jews. 


212 

III.  THE  NEW  LIFE  IN  ITS  RELATION  TO  THE 
AFFAIRS  OF  OUR  DAILY  LIFE  (12:  1-15:  13). 

Paul  has  now  laid  before  the  Romans  the  Gospel 
which  God  had  given  him  to  preach.  In  the  last  part 
of  the  letter  he  points  out  how  Christians  must  show 
their  faith  by  their  attitude  in  the  different  affairs  of 
life.  The  power  of  God,  which  is  in  the  free  Gospel, 
must  develop  into  a  life  in  holiness.  Paul  puts  all  this 
into  the  form  of  an  admonition. 

The  Life  of  the  Christians  in  the  Church. 

12 :  1-8.  The  mercy  which  God  has  shown  to  the 
Christians  is  to  be  the  new  and  motive  power  in  them, 
causing  their  whole  life  to  be  devoted  to  the  service  of 
God.  In  their  relations  with  their  Christian  brethren 
they  are  to  be  sober,  and  in  their  Church  work  they  are 
to  be  faithful. 

Admonition  to  Brotherly  Love  and  a  Forgiving  Spirit. 

12:9-21.  Brotherly  love  is  to  be  without  hypocrisy; 
all  their  inner  life  full  of  the  glow  imparted  by  the 
Spirit  of  God.  In  prosperity  and  adversity  alike,  strong, 
helpful  and  hospitable,  magnanimous  toward  enemies, 
and  always  sympathetic  toward  friends.  None  shall  set 
himself  up  above  others ;  and  as  far  as  possible,  Christians 
shall  keep  peace  with  all  men.  God  will  care  for  His 
own.  They  shall  overcome  that  which  is  evil  by  doing 
that  which  is  good. 

Obedience  to  the  Government. 

13:  1-7.  The  temporal  powers  are  ordained  of  God 
to  administer  justice  on  earth.  The  Christian  shall 
therefore  honor  them  as  God's  servants,  and  do  his 
duty  as  a  citizen  of  the  State ;  not  because  of  the  fear 


213 

of  punishment,  but  out  of  respect  for  the  government 
and  its  high  calhng. 

Love  Is  the  Fulfilment  of  the  Law. 

13:8-14.  Christians  must  not  in  any  way  molest 
others,  or  work  them  any  injury.  They  are  to  have 
self-respect,  and  keep  themselves  free  of  heathenish  im- 
morality. They  are  the  children  of  light,  and  have  put 
on  the  Lord  Christ.  He  shall  soon  come  again.  It  is 
important,  therefore,  to  be  always  on  guard. 

The  Habit  of  Judging  Others  in  the  Church. 

14:  1 — 15:  13.  It  is  not  the  business  of  one  Chris- 
tian to  judge  the  other.  It  is  the  province  of  the  master 
to  judge  the  servant;  hence  it  is  not  ours  to  judge  the 
servant  of  another,  of  Christ.  Let  each  be  allowed  to 
arrange  his  own  life  as  his  own  conscience  dictates ;  and 
then  Christ  shall  at  last  pronounce  the  final  judgment. 
Especially  are  they  who  have  more  advanced  ideas  to 
be  charitable  and  considerate  in  dealing  with  such  as 
have  their  doubts  and  scruples  about  the  right  to  do 
certain  things.  Let  all  remember  that  the  Kingdom  of 
God  is  not  eating  and  drinking.  Therefore  none  shall 
bring  strife  into  the  Church  because  of  such  things  as 
these,  but  rather  bear  the  infirmities  of  the  weak.  In 
this  matter,  also,  Christians  shall  try  to  follow  in  the 
footsteps  of  their  Master.  He  became  the  servant  of 
all ;  of  the  Jews  first,  and  then  by  God's  grace  of  the 
Gentiles  also.  Therefore  God's  name  is  praised  among 
all,  both  Jews  and  Gentiles.  Thus  are  fulfilled  the  Old 
Testament  prophecies.  None,  then,  shall  exalt  himself 
above  the  other. 

This  part  of  the  letter  closes  with  the  wish  that  God 
may  fill  the  Christians  in  Rome  with  all  joy  and  peace. 


214 

Closing  Remarks  (15 :  14—16  -.ll). 

The  main  part  of  the  letter  is  finished.  There  fol- 
low some  closing  remarks  of  a  more  personal  nature, 
together  with  a  final  greeting. 

15:14—21.  The  apostle  makes  a  forceful  statement 
of  his  reasons  for  writing  this  letter.  Then  he  tells 
(15:22-33)  that  it  is  his  purpose  to  visit  Rome  on  his 
way  to  Spain;  but  first  he  must  carry  the  money  which 
he  has  collected  to  Jerusalem.  He  begs  (16:1-2)  the 
Church  in  Rome  to  receive  with  all  kindness  sister 
Phebe,  who  brings  them  the  letter  and  who  is  from  Cen- 
chrea,  the  port  of  Corinth.  Then  he  sends  special  greet- 
ings to  a  number  of  persons  (16:3-16).  Last  of  all 
(16:  17-27)  he  issues  a  warning  against  all  things  con- 
trary to  the  true  doctrine;  and  he  prays  that  God  may 
strengthen  and  guide  the  Roman  Christians  in  all 
things. 


The  Two  Letters  to  the  Church  at  Corinth. 

These  letters  cast  a  flood  of  light  on  conditions  in 
the  earliest  Christian  Churches,  as  do  no  other  writings 
of  those  times.  The  German  scholar,  Prof.  Dr.  Wei- 
szaecker,  says :  ''These  two  letters  are  in  an  eminent 
degree  historical.  They  describe  a  series  of  conditions 
and  facts  in  such  a  way  as  to  be  a  good  substitute  for 
the  usual  historical  documents.  In  many  respects  these 
letters  are  the  only,  and  in  others  the  best  source  of 
knowledge  which  we  have.  Even  if  we  had  nothing- 
more  than  these  letters,  they  would  be  sufficient  to  show 
us  the  oldest  form  taken  by  the  Christian  religion  in 
Greek-Roman  soil."  And  the  French  scholar,  Prof. 
Godet,  says:  "These  two  letters  have  a  special  interest 
to  the  Church.  They  unfold  to  us,  as  do  no  other  let- 
ters, the  inner  life  of  a  large  Congregation  in  those 
earliest  times.  They  let  us  see  the  magnitude  of  the 
war  waged  by  the  apostle  of  the  Gentiles ;  and  they 
give  us  a  deep  insight  into  his  character,  his  emotional 
nature,  and  his  whole  personality." 

The  letter  to  the  Romans  shows  us  the  apostle  in  his 
fight  against  Jewish  ideas  and  traditions,  which  threat- 
ened to  destroy  the  Gospel  and  the  Church ;  while  the 
letters  to  the  Corinthians  show  him  in  his  fight  against 
heathen  ideas  and  traditions,  which  threatened  the  Gos- 
pel and  the  Church  from  the  opposite  direction. 

Concerning  the  city  of  Corinth  and  its  Congrega- 
tion, read  Part  I  of  this  volume,  pages  97-102,  110-112. 


First  Epistle  to  the  Corinthians* 

This  letter  begins,  as  is  usual,  with  greetings  and  an 
introduction  (1:1-9),  and  ends  with  some  personal  clos- 
ing remarks  and  a  farewell  greeting  (chap.  16).  The 
main  body  of  the  letter  deals  with  the  many  difficulties 
of  the  Congregation,  torn  as  it  was  by  disputes  con- 
cerning Christian  duty  and  Christian  liberty;  and  an- 
swers the  many  questions  put  to  him;  trying  in  general 
to  bring  order  out  of  the  chaotic  conditions  in  this 
Church. 

THE  PLAN  0^  the:  LETTER. 

Salutation.     1 :  1-9. 

1.  Against  sectarianism.     1:10-4:21. 

2.  Against  immorality  and  dissensions  in  the  Church.     5-6. 

3.  Concerning  marriage.     7. 

4.  Of  Christian  liberty  and  its  limitations.    8:  1-11:1. 

5.  Answers  to  a  number  of  questions  in  regard  to  conditions  in 
the  Congregation,  and  in  regard  to  the  public  Church  service. 
11:2-31. 

6.  Of  God's  Spirit,  and  of  spiritual  gifts.     12-14. 

7.  The  resurrection  of  the  dead.    15. 
Conclusion  and  greeting.     16. 


Introduction  and  Salutation. 

1 :  1-9.  The  letter  begins  with  a  greeting  to  the 
brethren;  and  the  apostle  expresses  his  joy  in  the  knowl- 
edge that  the  truths  of  the  Christian  religion  had  gained 
a  foothold  among  them,  and  that  the  spiritual  gifts  had 


217 

been  poured  out  abundantly  upon  them.  He  prays  God 
that  their  lives  may  always  be  marked  by  true  holiness. 
Thus  the  introduction  is  characteristic,  in  that  it 
gives  the  Congregation  an  inkling  of  those  things  which 
are  weighing  on  the  mind  of  the  writer. 

1.    AGAINST   SECTARIANISM    (1:10^:21). 
Away  with  Party  Divisions. 

1 :  10-16.  The  apostle  denounces  the  party  feeling, 
which  always  brings  strife  and  divisions,  and  which 
threatens  to  disrupt  the  Congregation;  and  he  urges 
them  to  be  quit  of  this  unseemly  contention,  and  to  be 
of  one  mind.  They  are  not  to  worship  men;  and  they 
must  not  use  his  name,  or  that  of  any  other  leader,  as 
a  party  slogan.  None  of  these  names  can  save  them. 
Paul  has  not  been  crucified  for  them,  nor  have  any  been 
baptized  into  his  name.  Christians  are  to  belong  to 
Christ,  and  to  none  other.  Therefore  Paul  is  glad  that 
he  has  baptized  only  two  persons  in  Corinth;  so  that 
people  can  not  boast  of  being  better  than  others  because 
of  having  been  baptized  by  Paul  himself. 

The  Wisdom  of  the  World,  and  the  Foolishness  of  God. 

1 :  17-31.  "Christ  has  not  sent  me  to  baptize,"  says 
the  apostle,  "but  to  preach  the  good  news  of  salvation." 
And  this  is  what  the  apostle  does ;  and  he  never  asks 
what  and  how  the  people  would  like  to  have  him  preach. 
He  knows  that  the  Jews  want  proofs  which  they  can 
see  and  handle;  and  that  the  Greeks  have  a  weakness 
for  philosophical  essays  set  forth  in  polished  language. 
But  he  does  not  resort  to  such  means;  for  thereby  the 
wisdom  and  power  of  God  in  the  Gospel  are  weakened ; 
the  hearers  are  interested  in  the  style  of  the  discourse, 
and    forget   the   matter   itself.      For   the   Word   of   the 


218 

cross  is  widely  different  from  the  wisdom  of  this  world. 
This  wisdom  can  not  rise  to  such  heights.  Therefore 
the  Word  of  the  cross  seems  fooHshness  to  the  great 
mass  of  the  "wise"  in  this  world.  But  they  who  in  sim- 
plicity of  heart,  believe  this  Word,  and  are  saved  by  it, 
experience  that  it  is  the  power  of  God.  Through  the 
preaching  of  this  Word,  which  was  to  the  Jews  a  stum- 
blingblock,  and  to  the  Greeks  foolishness,  God  has 
shown  it  to  be  both  wisdom  and  power;  for  this  Word 
alone  was  able  to  raise  up  and  save  that  which  the  world 
looked  down  on  and  despised.  Thus  God  puts  to  shame 
that  which  is  great  and  strong  and  wise  in  the  eyes  of 
the  world.  The  Christian  has,  therefore,  nothing  of 
which  to  boast  before  God;  for  all  that  he  is  or  has  is 
given  him  by  reason  of  his  being  in  Christ,  and  Christ 
in  him. 

Paul's  Preaching. 

2 :  1-5.  Paul  did  not  come  to  them  in  the  character 
of  a  traveling  lecturer,  with  smooth  speech  or  deep 
speculations.  But  in  simple  language  he  preached  to 
them  the  testimony  of  God  concerning  salvation  in  the 
crucified  Jesus;  that  all  might  understand  that  the  per- 
suasive power  of  his  words  was  not  a  result  of  his  skill 
as  an  orator,  but  was  caused  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  who 
through  these  words  showed  forth  His  power. 

Wisdom  Among  the  Pullgrown. 

2 :  6-16.  However,  Paul  also  can  speak  wisdom.  He 
can  do  it,  he  says,  to  them  that  are  somewhat  advanced 
in  Christian  knowledge.  But  remember  that  it  is  God's 
wisdom  which  he  speaks;  the  wisdom  that  has  been 
hidden,  God's  eternal  decree  of  salvation,  whatsoever 
thing  God  prepared  for  them  that  love  Him.  This  is 
something  which   no   man   of   himself   could   ever   con- 


219 

ceive.  For  the  mind  of  man,  drawing  its  wisdom  out 
of  its  own  depths,  can  not  grasp  the  thoughts  of  God; 
these  are  of  another  nature,  and  to  the  natural  man 
they  are  fooUshness.  Only  God's  Spirit  can  reveal  God's 
thoughts  to  us;  for  the  Spirit  alone  knows  God's  heart; 
and  the  Spirit  alone  can  teach  us  to  present  these 
thoughts  of  God  in  the  right  way.  It  is  not  possible  to 
judge  the  thoughts  of  God  by  means  of  our  Httle  sys- 
tems of  so-called  philosophy.  None  but  such  as  have 
the  Spirit  of  God  in  their  heart  can  judge  of  these  mat- 
ters. Neither  can  men  properly  judge  the  children  of 
God;  for  they  do  not  know  the  Lord's  mind,  nor  can 
they  instruct  God's  children  in  spiritual  things.  But  we 
Christians  have  the  mind  of  Christ. 

Spiritually,  the  Christians  in  Corinth  Have  Not  Come  of 

Age.    Their  Partisan  Strife  Is  Evidence  of 

Their  Childishness. 

3:1-15.  The  Church  in  Corinth  has  not  reached 
such  spiritual  maturity  that  the  apostle  can  lay  before 
them  the  deeper  things.  In  the  matter  of  religion  the 
Corinthian  Christians  are  as  little  children  who  need 
milk.  There  is  too  much  of  carnal  jealousy  and  strife 
among  them,  as  evidenced  by  their  violent  partisanship. 
What  can  it  profit  them  to  wrangle  about  Apollos  and 
Paul?  These  are  but  God's  servants.  They  may  plant 
and  water,  but  God  must  give  the  increase.  They  may 
build  the  Church  of  God,  but  there  is  only  one  sure 
foundation,  Jesus  Christ.  The  several  builders  build, 
each  as  well  as  he  can.  Some  do  better,  and  some 
poorer  work.  The  great  day  of  judgment  shall  reveal 
whether  or  not  the  work  of  each  can  stand  the  test. 
Therefore  we  would  better  leave  the  question  open  till 
that  dav  comes. 


220 

The  Congregation  Is  God's  Temple. 

3 :  16-23.  God  dwells  in  the  Congregation,  and  there 
he  will  be  worshiped.  Therefore  the  Church  is  holy 
and  must  not  be  destroyed ;  for  if  any  man  destroy  it, 
him  shall  God  punish.  It  is  not  only  unwise  teachers 
who  may  destroy  the  Congregation.  It  may  be  that 
some  member  of  the  Church  is  puffed  up,  is  wise  in  his 
own  conceit,  and  fondly  imagines  that  he  surely  knows 
a  thing  or  two.  If  such  there  be,  he  should  know  that 
God  takes  the  wise  in  their  craftiness,  which  in  the  sight 
of  God  is  mere  vanity  and  foolishness.  Let  the  mem- 
bers of  the  Church  in  Corinth  be  on  their  guard.  And 
then  they  must  no  longer  boast  of  being  followers  of  a 
certain  teacher.  They  are  to  bear  in  mind  that  all  the 
teachers,  no  matter  what  their  name,  are  sent  of  God  to 
show  them  the  way,  and  that  whatever  meets  them  is 
sent  for  their  good ;  and  first  of  all  they  must  remember 
that  they  belong  to  Christ,  and  through  Him  are  the 
children  of  God. 
• 

Paul  Is  the  Lord's  Servant,  and  the  Lord  Is 
Paul's  ludge. 

4:  1-5.  They  whom  the  Lord  has  called  to  preach 
the  Gospel  are  servants  of  Christ;  and  the  Lord  de- 
mands that  they  be  faithful.  The  servant  must  render 
an  account  to  his  master;  and  only  the  master  has  any 
right  to  judge  the  servant.  This  has  been  the  apostle's 
rule  of  action.  He  leaves  the  judgment  to  the  Lord; 
and  when  the  Lord  comes  to  hold  judgment,  much  that 
was  hidden  will  be  brought  to  light,  and  we  shall  see 
that  we  often  were  mistaken  in  our  judgments. 

P aid's  Defense  of  Himself. 

4:6-21.  The  apostle  fairly  lashes  the  Corinthians 
in  most  scathing  terms  for  being  puffed  up  and  for  their 


221 

foolish  and  conceited  idea  that  they  were  the  proper 
persons  to  judge  him  and  Apollos.  With  fiery  eloquence 
he  describes  his  life  in  strife  and  suffering  because  of 
them.  This  part  of  the  letter  especially  shows  Paul  as 
a  man  who  could  put  his  words  cunningly  together,  and 
who  was  a  brilliant  orator.  One  is  in  reading  it  strongly 
reminded  of  the  Old  Testament  prophets. 

The  Corinthians  are  arrogant  and  overbearing.  They 
think  themselves  so  superior,  wise  and  strong,  that  they 
can  look  down  on  their  foolish,  despised  and  maltreated 
apostle.  They  imagine  themselves  as  perfectly  able  to 
sit  in  judgment  on  him.  The  apostle  does  not,  how- 
ever, now  wish  to  put  them  to  shame;  he  merely  re- 
minds them  that  no  matter  how  many  teachers  they  may 
have,  they  have  him,  Paul,  as  their  only  spiritual  father. 
Therefore  it  is  highly  improper  of  them  to  put  them- 
selves up  as  his  judges.  They  should  imitate  him  rather 
than  judge  him. 

They  must  not  think  that  he  fears  them  because  of 
their  arrogance,  and  dares  not  come  to  them.  But  he 
sends  his  faithful  friend  Timothy  to  look  into  the  mat- 
ters complained  of  among  them.  And  now  it  will  de- 
pend on  the  behavior  of  the  Corinthians  themselves, 
whether  Paul  is  to  come  to  them  in  a  spirit  of  gentle- 
ness, or  come  to  punish  them. 

2.    AGAINST  IMMORALITY  AND  DISSENSIONS  IN  THE 
CHURCH   (5:1—6:20). 

Sexual  Immorality  in  the  Church. 

5:  1-13.  Paul  has  said  what  he  had  to  say  against 
the  spirit  of  partisanship;  and  he  has  spoken  his  mind 
on  the  subject  without  himself  becoming  a  partisan  of 
either  faction.  But  there  were  other  causes  of  com- 
plaint also  against  the  Corinthian  Church.  All  sorts  of 
offenses    against    sexual    morality    are    a    part    of    the 


222 

heathen  Hfe;  and  it  takes  a  long  time  for  converted 
heathen  to  rid  themselves  of  these  vices.  The  reports 
of  missionary  workers  have  always  and  everywhere  told 
the  same  story. 

There  had  been  an  especially  flagrant  instance  of 
such  vice  among  the  Corinthian  Christians.  One  of 
these  lived  in  incest  with  his  stepmother.  But  the  Co- 
rinthians had  in  their  arrogant  conceit  been  so  busy 
passing  judgment  on  the  apostle,  that  they  had  found 
no  time  to  punish  this  outrage  against  all  decency.  It  is 
a  matter  easily  disposed  of,  says  the  apostle.  There  is 
but  one  thing  to  do,  and  that  is  to  expel  the  man  from 
the  Congregation ;  turn  him  out  into  the  wicked  world, 
where  Satan  rules,  and  there  will  soon  be  made  an  end 
of  such  an  unclean  animal.  Or  it  might  be  that  the  sin- 
ner would  come  to  another  way  of  thinking,  and  be 
saved,  before  the  day  of  grace  is  ended. 

The  Congregation  must  cease  their  boasting,  and 
rather  begin  a  thorough  house-cleaning.  This  would 
be  especially  appropriate  at  this  season,  just  before 
Easter.  Let  them  shun  the  company  of  those  who  call 
themselves  brethren,  but  who  openly  lead  vicious  lives. 
Such  people  should  not  be  tolerated  in  the  Church. 

Members  of  the  Congregation  Go  to  Law  with  One 
Another  before  the  Heathen  Courts. 

6:  1-11.  There  are  other  matters  also  that  cause  the 
apostle  much  sorrow.  Christians  have  suits  at  law  con- 
cerning things  of  only  temporal  importance,  and  before 
heathen  judges.  It  is  a  disgrace  that  Christian  Church 
members  cannot  settle  such  little  matters  among  them- 
selves. Some  time  the  Christians  are  to  judge  even 
angels.  These  suits  at  law  are  a  blot  on  the  Church. 
Christian  people  should  rather  suffer  than  do  wrong. 
Licentiousness,  covetousness,  drunkenness  and  backbit- 
ing are  sins  which  exclude  one   from  God's  Kingdom. 


223 

While  the  Corinthians  yet  lived  as  heathens,  many  of 
them  had  been  guilty  of  these  sins.  But  they  had  been 
washed  in  Baptism,  and  sanctified  and  justified  in  the 
name  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  and  in  the  Spirit  of  God.  They 
are  set  free  from  their  former  life  of  sin,  and  have  be- 
gun a  new  life  in  purity  and  holiness,  having  received 
forgiveness  of  sin. 

Christians  Must  Lead  a  Chaste  Life. 

6:  12-20.  Christian  liberty  is  a  great  thing,  but  it 
must  not  be  abused.  It  must  not  be  made  into  liberty  to 
do  wrong.  Unchastity  is  not  to  be  regarded  as  something 
of  little  account,  as  merely  an  innocent  gratification  of 
a  natural  want,  like  that  of  hunger.  For  the  body  is 
"not  for  fornication,  but  for  the  Lord."  The  body  of 
the  Christian  is  a  member  of  Christ,  and  a  temple  of 
the  Holy  Spirit.  Therefore  the  Christian  must  shun  all 
forms  of  unchastity,  and  lead  a  clean  life  to  the  glory 
of  God. 

3.   CONCERNING  MARRIAGE  (7:1-40). 

The  Congregation  in  Corinth  had  sent  a  letter  to 
Paul,  asking  him  a  number  of  questions,  mostly  concern- 
ing matters  of  discipline.  These  questions  he  answers 
in  the  chapters  now  before  us.  One  delicate  matter  with 
which  to  deal  in  the  earliest  Gentile  Churches  was  the 
question  of  marriage.  In  heathen  circles  there  were 
even  at  this  time  certain  persons  who  praised  the  un- 
married estate  as  being  morally  more  clean  than  the 
married  estate.  It  is  not  difficult  to  understand  how 
such  an  idea  came  to  be  born  in  the  Churches.  Later 
on  this  idea  was  to  spread  and  gain  strength,  until  it 
ruled  the  Church.  It  still  holds  full  sway  among  the 
Roman  Catholics.  Another  difficulty  was  caused  by  the 
so-called  mixed  marriages,  in  which  one  of  the  parties 


224 

was   an    unbeliever   and    the    other   a    Christian.      The 
apostle  deals  with  these  matters  carefully  and  tactfully. 

Marriage  Is  Not  a  Sin. 

7:  1-9.  Marriage  is  not  an  immoral  institution. 
Quite  the  reverse.  The  unmarried  are  exposed  to  much 
temptation.  Therefore,  in  the  case  of  most  people,  mar- 
riage is  advisable. 

Divorce. 

7:  10-16.  It  is  not  advisable  to  dissolve  the  mixed 
marriages.  Interest  in  the  Christian  training  of  the 
children  should  keep  the  Christian  husband  or  wife  from 
taking  such  a  step.  Besides,  the  unbeHever  might  pos- 
sibly be  converted  to  the  Christian  faith.  But  if  the  un- 
believing husband  divorces  his  Christian  wife,  this  is 
another  matter.  Then  it  is  he  who  has  dissolved  the 
marriage.  The  wife  is  not  a  slave.  God  has  called  us 
to  live  our  life  in  peace. 


Christians  Are  to  Remain  in  Their  Old  Calling. 

7 :  17-24.  In  general,  it  is  a  good  rule  that  the 
Christian  should  remain  in  his  old  calling  and  condition 
of  life;  and  he  must  obey  the  laws  of  the  State.  This 
the  slave  also  should  remember.  The  liberty  to  which 
they  are  called  is  liberty  in  Christ.  It  is  to  make  them 
spiritually  free  that  Christ  has  bought  them  with  His 
blood. 

Young  People  and  Marriage. 

7 :  25-38.  To  the  young  people,  and  particularly  to 
the  young  girls,  the  apostle  gives  the  advice  that  on  ac- 
count of  the  distress  and  dangers  threatening  the  Chris- 
tians, they  would  better  remain  unmarried.  For  the 
affliction  may  be  more  keenly  felt  when  one  is  living 
with  a  wife  or  husband.     Paul  wants  to  spare  his  young 


225 

friends  this  greater  sorrow.  And  then,  the  unmarried 
are  more  free  to  take  the  proper  measures  when  the 
troubles  come.  But  the  apostle  does  not  want  them  to 
be  understood  as  holding  the  view  that  the  unmarried 
state  has  any  peculiar  sanctity. 

Widows. 

7 :  39^0.  Widows  have  full  liberty  to  marry  again ; 
but  they  should  then  see  to  it  that  they  find  a  Christian 
husband.  Under  the  existing  circumstances  they  prob- 
ably do  best,  however,  in  remaining  unmarried. 

4.   OF  CHRISTIAN  LIBERTY  AND  ITS  LIMITATIONS 
(8:1-11:1). 

One  of  the  questions  put  to  him  by  the  Congrega- 
tions causes  the  apostle  to  take  up  this  matter  of  Chris- 
tian liberty  in  temporal  matters.  The  city  markets  sold 
meat  which  had  been  bought  from  the  heathen  temples. 
In  the  sacrifices  to  the  idols  the  whole  carcass  of  the 
animal  was  not  used,  and  what  remained  of  it  was  sold. 
This  placed  many  Christians  in  a  difficult  position.  Some 
said:  "All  things  are  lawful,"  while  others  had  their 
serious  scruples.  To  these  it  seemed  that  the  meat  in 
question  was  not  exactly  as  other  meat.  Even  though 
the  Christians  believed  in  the  one  true  God  only,  and  re- 
garded idols  and  their  worship  as  an  empty  farce ;  still 
the  minds  of  many  were  muddled  in  this  matter.  They 
had  grown  up  as  heathens  in  heathendom,  and  had 
feared  the  gods.  It  was,  therefore,  not  easy  to  break 
loose  from  all  this.  The  old  feeling  that  the  idols  might 
be  something  after  all  was  hard  to  be  rid  of.  They 
might  be  demons  or  other  mysterious  beings,  and  might 
be  dangerous.  Now,  the  whole  carcass  of  the  animal 
had  been  dedicated  to  the  idol ;  and  if  a  man  should  eat 
some  of  this  meat,  he  would  in  a  way  be  forced  into  this 


22(3 

mystic  circle  of  witchcraft.  He  would  in  some  degree 
come  into  a  sort  of  relationship  with  the  idol,  which 
would  thus  gain  some  power  over  him.  Again,  even  if 
one  did  not  himself  buy  such  meat,  he  might  be  invited 
to  a  meal  with  a  friend  who  was  a  heathen ;  and  there 
the  meat  was  on  the  table.  What  was  a  Christian  then 
to  do? — The  liberals  simply  laughed  at  the  matter;  but 
there  were  others,  whose  conscience  was  troubled,  and 
who  did  not  see  their  way  clear. 

The  answer  of  the  apostle  is  marked  by  far-seeing 
wisdom.  On  the  one  hand  it  is  important  to  hold  fast 
the  principle  of  Christian  liberty  in  such  things :  while 
on  the  other  hand  one  must  avoid  l^ecoming  a  stumbling- 
block  to  the  weak  brethren. 

Piiffed-iip  Knowledge  and  Brotherly  Love. 

8 :  1-3.  All  have  made  up  some  kind  of  an  opinion 
concerning  the  sacrifices  to  the  idols.  That  is  an  easy 
matter.  But  there  is  this  danger  in  connection  with 
"puifed-up  knowledge,"  that  people  who  have  it,  and 
are  so  sure  of  always  being  in  the  right,  are  also  prone 
to  act  with  no  regard  for  others.  And  then  things  go 
wrong.  Such  people  forget  that  "love  ediiieth!'  One 
who  thinks  that  he  understands  it  all,  merely  because  he 
has  framed  up  some  kind  of  opinion,  is  apt  to  find  him- 
self badly  mistaken.  His  knowledge  is  very  superficial. 
But  if  we  love  God,  we  are  known  of  God ;  and  he  will 
help  us  to  understand  aright  and  to  act  in  accordance 
with  the  law  of  love. 

The  Bating  of  Meat  Sacrificed  to   Idols. 

8 : 4-13.  On  these  premises  it  is  not  difficult  to  see 
the  true  answer  to  this  question  concerning  the  eating 
of  meat  which  has  been  sacrificed  to  the  idols.  This 
much  is  certain,  that  there  is  but  one  God.    As  Christians 


09' 


we  are  His  own.  The  idols  do  not.  exist;  they  are 
nothing.  But  all  Christians  have  not  reached  any  clear 
conviction  on  this  point;  and  they  may  take  offense  if 
we  make  use  of  our  proper  and  undoubted  Christian 
liberty.  Then  it  is  better  to  let  love  rule,  and  to  abstain 
from  eating  the  meat  in  question. 

Paul  as  an  Example  for  Imitation. 

9:  1-27.  In  this  matter,  says  the  apostle,  Christians 
may  well  follow  his  example.  None  had  spoken 
stronger  words  concerning  Christian  liberty ;  and  Chris- 
tianity had  come  to  the  Corinthians  through  Paul's 
preaching.  He  had  the  right  to  marry,  as  the  other 
apostles  had  done;  but  he  had  not  done  it.  He  had  the 
right  to  be  paid  for  his  work,  as  had  every  soldier,  or 
laborer,  or  beast  of  burden,  or  the  priest  in  the  temple ; 
but  he  had  not  made  use  of  this  right.  However,  they 
must  not  understand  him  as  meaning  to  say  that  he  was 
^t  liberty  to  preach  the  Gospel,  or  not  to  preach  it.  No, 
he  must  preach.  This  was  the  deepest  desire  of  his 
heart,  besides  his  greatest  happiness.  So  his  reward  is, 
that  he  can  give  them  the  Gospel  without,  charge ;  that 
the  cost  could  keep  none  away  from  hearing  his  preach- 
ing. "For  though  I  was  free  from  all  men,  I  brought 
myself  under  the  bondage  to  all,  that  I  might  gain  the 
more." 

On  this  rule  Paul  had  acted.  Among  the  Jews  he 
lived  as  a  Jew,  observing  the  Law ;  and  among  the 
Greeks  as  a  Greek,  free  from  the  bonds  of  the  Law ; 
— ''not  being  without  law  to  God,  but  under  law  to 
Christ,"  So  the  rule  of  his  life  had  been :  All  things 
to  all  men,  that  he  might  by  all  means  save  some.  He 
does  all  for  the  sake  of  the  Gospel.  In  the  games  held 
near  Corinth  they  had  seen  how  every  man  who  was 
to  take  part  in  the  race  trained  himself  for  it,  hoping  to 


228 

win  the  prize.  This  is  what  Paul  does  also,  he  says. 
He  runs,  he  fights,  he  brings  his  body  into  bondage ; 
that  he,  who  preaches  to  others,  may  not  himself  be  re- 
jected, but  may  receive  the  incorruptible  crown. 

Here  the  apostle  has  given  us  a  beautiful  picture,  a 
grand  charter  of  liberty:  Willing  surrender  of  one's 
personal  rights;  in  love  making  one's  self  the  servant 
of  all  in  order  to  save  as  many  as  possible. 

Admonition  from  Israel's  History. 

10:  1-13.  The  Christians  in  Corinth  are  asked  to 
take  warning  from  the  old  Israelites,  who  are  the  fathers 
of  the  Christian  converts  among  the  Gentiles  also  (Ro- 
mans 4:  12-11:  17).  God  was  with  them  with  His  pro- 
tecting love.  When  they  passed  through  the  Red  Sea 
they  received  a  Baptism  which  united  them  with  their 
deliverer,  Moses;  and  they  were  fed  by  supernatural 
means, — a  Lord's  Supper.  They  ate  the  Spiritual  Bread 
and  they  drank  from  the  Spiritual  Rock.  In  the  Old 
Testament  the  Lord  is  often  called  a  Rock;  and  the 
apostle  here  speaks  of  this  Rock  as  being  Christ,  the 
Messiah.  In  spite  of  all  this  the  IsraeUtes  gave  them- 
selves over  to  one  sin  after  the  other;  and  they  again 
and  again  brought  down  upon  themselves  the  anger  of 
God,  because  they  did  that  which  was  evil  in  His  sight. 
And  "these  were  our  examples,  to  the  intent  we  should 
not  lust  after  evil  things,"  but  shun  them. 

Of  Taking  Part  in  the  SacriUces  to  the  Idols,  and  in 
the  Feast  Connected  with  Such  Sacrifices. 

10:14-11:1.  Christians  must  have  nothing  to  do 
with  any  form  of  idolatrous  worship.  They  know  that  in 
the  Lord's  Supper  we  have  communion  with  Christ  and 
with  one  another.  Thus  it  was  also  with  the  old  Israel- 
ites.    In  eating  the  sacrifices  they  came  into  communion 


229 

with  God,  to  whom  the  altar  with  everything  on  it  was 
dedicated.  To  eat  the  sacrifice  is  to  come  into  com- 
munion with  the  god  to  whom  the  sacrifice  is  offered, 
and  with  them  that  worship  him.  So  if  one  take  part 
in  the  sacrifices  and  feasts  to  the  idols,  he  comes  into 
communion — ^not  with  the  idols,  for  they  do  not  exist — 
but  with  the  demons,  or  evil  spirits  who  stand  back  of  it 
all,  and  have  seduced  the  heathen,  and  caused  th^m  to 
worship  idols. 

It  is  not  specially  difficult  to  do  the  right  thing  in 
these  matters.  Every  man  must  do  that  which  his  con- 
science dictates,  with  all  deference  to  the  opinions  of 
others.  But  first  of  all  he  should  remember  that  all  his 
acts  should  redound  to  the  glory  of  God.  Thus  he  best 
promotes  the  salvation  of  others.  This  has  been  the 
apostle's  rule  of  life,  and  Christians  do  well  to  follow 
him;  for  he  walks  in  the  footsteps  of  Christ. 

5.   ANSWERS  TO   A  NUMBER  OF  QUESTIONS   IN   RE-^ 

CARD  TO  CONDITIONS   IN  THE  CONGREGATION, 

AND  IN  REGARD  TO  THE  PUBLIC  CHURCH 

SERVICE  (11:2-31). 

11:2-16.  As  Christianity  made  its  way  to  the 
peoples,  and  gained  adherents  among  Jews  and  Greeks, 
and  these  were  to  be  organized  into  Congregations, 
there  naturally  were  many  new  questions  demanding  an 
answer.  The  Jews  and  the  Greeks  had  their  different 
ideas  and  customs ;  and  it  was  not  in  every  case  an  easy 
thing  to  decide  as  to  what  might  be  best.  Naturally, 
then,  these  people  looked  to  the  apostle  for  advice  (11: 
2,  16).  Such  a  question  it  no  doubt  was  which  the 
apostle  here  undertakes  to  answer:  the  question  in  re- 
gard to  the  proper  dress  for  women  in  attendance  at 
the  public  Church  service.  With  the  Greeks  it  was  the 
custom  for  men  and  women  to  perform  their  religious 
ceremonies  with  unveiled  faces.     With  the  Tews  it  was 


230 

an  ancient  custom  to  veil  the  head  when  they  offered 
prayer.  Of  course,  it  took  some  time  before  a  new 
Christian  custom  was  established.  In  the  meantime 
some  Christians  were  offended  by  what  the  others  held 
to  be  entirely  proper;  and  so  there  was  a  great  oppor- 
tunity for  Avrangling. 

As  to  whether  or  not  women  should  be  veiled  dur- 
ing the  public  Church  service,  the  apostle  emphasizes 
that  this  is  not  a  specially  important  matter;  but  at  the 
same  time  he  points  out  that  even  in  such  a  question 
as  this  the  new  Christian  view  of  life  will  have  certain 
results.  Christ  is  the  Head  of  the  man,  and  the  man 
is  the  head  of  the  woman.  It  is  most  seemly  that  a 
man  prays  to  God  with  unveiled  head,  while  a  woman 
should  be  veiled,  as  a  sign  of  womanly  modesty.  Na- 
ture itself  seems  to  have  suggested  this.  Man  was 
created  first,  in  the  image  of  God,  and  with  the  dignity 
of  a  ruler.  But  woman  receives  her  dignity  through 
the  man ;  and  nature  suggests  this,  also  in  that  there  is 
given  to  woman  a  natural  veil  in  her  long  and  lux- 
uriant hair.  Therefore  women  should  have  a  sign  of 
respect  on  their  head,  because  of  the  angels. 

There  has  been  much  controversy  as  to  what  the 
apostle  means  by  this  ''because  of  the  angels."  It  may 
be  that  here,  as  in  4:9  (cf.  Hebrews  1:  14  and  Gala- 
tians  3:19),  the  angels  stand  as  representatives  of 
natural  law ;  or  we  may  understand  it  to  mean  that 
each  Christian  has  his  angel,  who  is  always  with  him, 
rejoicing  or  grieving  because  of  his  good  or  bad  deeds. 

Loi'e  Feasts  and  the  Lord's  Table. 

11:17-34.  The  apostle  here  utters  a  sharp  repri- 
mand because  of  certain  much  worse  things  complained 
of  as  having  occurred  in  connection  with  the  Church 
service. 


231 

In  the  Greek  Churches  it  was  a  common  and  favor- 
ite custom  to  serve  a  full  meal  whenever  they  celebrated 
Holy  Communion.  The  custom  of  having  such  ban- 
quets was  one  of  long  standing.  In  the  Churches  cer- 
tain abuses  now  crept  in.  The  members  belonging  to 
the  more  wealthy  class  brought  with  them  more  and 
better  food  than  the  poor  could  afford;  and  they  hur- 
riedly ate  and  drank  what  they  had  brought,  while  the 
poor  went  from  the  table  as  hungry  as  when  they  sat 
down.  So  it  was  very  far  from  being  a  love  feast. 
The  poor  felt  themselves  slighted  and  despised :  and  in- 
stead of  being  a  joy  and  a  means  of  closer  brotherhood, 
these  common  meals  became  a  cause  of  unseemly  con- 
tentions. 

Such  conduct  is  an  insult  to  the  Church  of  God,  and 
a  most  improper  preparation  for  receiving  Holy  Com- 
munion. Here  is  a  matter  of  grave  importance.  There- 
fore the  people  are  admonished  to  remember  and  bear 
in  mind  what  Paul  has  taught  them  concerning  the 
Lord's  Holy  Supper.  It  was  instituted  by  the  Lord 
Jesus  in  the  night  in  which  He  was  betrayed.  He  gave 
them  with  the  bread  and  wine  His  body  and  blood. 
When  partaking  of  the  Supper  they  should  remember 
Jesus  and  keep  clearly  in  mind,  that  in  His  blood,  which 
He  shed  for  them,  there  is  made  a  New  Covenant  be- 
tween them  and  God.  By  coming  together  about  the 
communion  table  they  proclaim  the  Lord's  death  till  He 
come.  But  by  their  unseemly  conduct  they  show  con- 
tempt for  the  Lord's  body  and  blood,  and  they  shall  be 
held  to  answer  before  God  for  this  wickedness.  There- 
fore each  man  shall  prove  himself  before  going  to  Com- 
munion; for  he  who  goes  to  the  Lord's  Table  in  the 
same  way  in  which  he  goes  to  another  meal,  brings 
down  upon  himself  God's  judgment.  The  many  cases 
of  sickness  and  death  in  the  Corinthian  Church  at  this 
time  should  cause  the  members  to  take  serious  thought. 


282 

and  to  pass  judgment  on  themselves.  If  we  do  this  we 
are  not  judged  of  God.  Yet  the  judgments  of  God 
during  our  days  of  grace  have  the  purpose  to  promote 
our  salvation.  If  the  Corinthians  wish  to  continue  their 
common  meals  in  the  Church,  they  must  conduct  them 
in  a  Christian  way.  If  they  want  to  make  them  just 
like  ordinary  meals,  it  would  be  as  well  for  each  family 
to  eat  in  its  own  home;  else  these  Church  gatherings 
may  bring  down  the  judgment  of  God  upon  the  Con- 
gregation. 

6.    OF  GOD'S  SPIRIT,  AND  OF  SPIRITUAL  GIFTS 
(12:1-14:40). 

On  the  day  of  Pentecost  the  Spirit  of  God  had  been 
poured  out  on  the  new  Church;  and  with  the  Spirit 
came  a  fulness  of  spiritual  gifts  as  evidence  of  the  new 
life  which  so  mightily  stirred  the  Congregation  of  be- 
lievers. These  spiritual  gifts  were  the  clearest  mark  of 
cleavage  between  the  Christians  and  the  unbelievers, 
showing  that  the  souls  of  the  Christians  were  mightily 
stirred  with  aspirations  of  a  higher  nature.  These  gifts 
and  the  expectation  of  Christ's  speedy  coming  again  to 
judgment  characterize  the  earliest  Church  more  markedly 
than  any  Church  of  later  date.  "The  Lord  will  soon 
come  again"  and  ''we  have  the  Holy  Spirit,"  these  are 
the  thoughts  that  sustained  the  earliest  Christians  in 
time  of  trouble,  and  gave  them  the  courage  and  the  wish 
to  work  for  God's  Kingdom.  But  even  these  things 
could  be  misused  and  become  a  source  of  dissensions, 
envy  and  fanaticism.  This  is  what  had  happened  in 
Corinth,  and  it  caused  much  irritation.  They  quarreled 
over  the  question  as  to  which  of  the  spiritual  gifts  was 
the  greatest.  Some  held  the  gift  of  prophecy  to  be  the 
greatest ;  but  the  one  gift  which  had  the  strongest  party 
of  admirers  was  the  gift  of  speaking  in  tongues.  None 
other  was  so  much  admired  as  the  one  who  had  this  gift. 


233 

No  doubt  the  Congregation  had  in  their  letter  asked 
the  apostle  to  instruct  them  in  this  matter  also;  and  so 
he  takes  up  the  question,  and  answers  it  at  some  length. 
In  this  he  has  done  the  whole  Church  a  great  service. 
He  saved  it  from  disintegration  through  ecstatic  excite- 
ment. The  apostle  holds  fast  that  these  gifts  come  from 
the  Spirit  of  God;  but  for  all  that  they  are  dangerous 
if  put  to  a  wrong  use. 

The  Spiritual  Gifts  Are  Gifts  from  the  Spirit  of  God. 

12 :  1-3.  The  difference  between  a  heathen  and  a 
Christian  is  this,  that  the  heathen  is  led  by  the  dumb 
idols,  while  the  Christian  is  inspired  and  guided  by  the 
Holy  Spirit.  So  much  the  Christians  in  Corinth  know 
of  their  own  experience.  The  Christian  is  known  in 
this,  that  he  confesses  Jesus  as  the  Lord.  If  he  has 
the  testimony  of  the  Holy  Spirit  he  can  not  do  other- 
wise. With  this  statement  the  apostle  lays  the  sure 
foundation  of  his  later  argument.  The  unanimous  con- 
fession of  all  Christians  shows  that  in  all  of  them  the 
source  of  life  is  the  Holy  Spirit;  and  that  the  work  of 
the  Spirit  in  the  Churches  has  the  one  purpose:  that 
from  everything,  from  all  hearts  and  all  lips,  shall  come 
the  confession,  that  Jesus  is  Lord. 

There  Are  Diverse  Gifts,  hut  the  Same  Spirit  and  the 
Same  End  in  View. 

12:  12-31.  It  is  with  the  Church  of  Christ  on  earth 
as  with  our  body.  This  consists  of  many  members. 
Each  member  has  its  purpose.  All  are  necessary.  No 
member  can  be  lopped  off  without  injury  to  the  whole 
body.  When  all  the  member  work  together  the  body 
prospers  and  finds  life  enjoyable. 

So  it  is  also  with  the  Church.  It  is  the  body  of 
Christ,  and  the  Christians  are  its  members.     Each  re- 


234 

ceives  his  special  gift,  and  must  use  it  for  the  benefit 
of  the  whole  body.  But  all  shall  try  for  the  greatest  of 
all  spiritual  gifts.  To  this  the  apostle  now  wants  to 
point  out  the  way. 

The  Greatest  Spiritual  Gift  of  All. 

13:  11-13.  The  several  spiritual  gifts  are  good,  and 
it  is  well  enough  to  desire  them.  But  there  is  a  still 
better  way  of  service  in  God's  Kingdom ;  and  this  way 
may  be  found  and  followed  by  all  Christians.  This  is 
the  bright  and  flowery  way  of  love.  It  is  better  than 
the  gift  of  prophecy  and  speaking  with  tongues ;  better 
than  the  greatest  knowledge,  the  strongest  faith,  the 
most  sure  hope.  Everything  here  on  earth  is  imperfect 
and  incomplete ;  we  can  not  see  the  innermost  kernel  of 
things.  But  when  everything  is  at  last  open  before  us, 
there  shall  abide  faith,  hope,  love,  these  three ;  and 
standing  out  in  the  brightest  splendor  of  Heaven  and 
eternity  is  love.     It  is  the  greatest  of  all. 

In  this  hymn  to  the  praise  of  love  the  spirit  of  the 
apostle  has  soared  to  heights  unknown,  as  we  some- 
times find  him  doing.  There  is  not  in  the  world's  litera- 
ture anything  to  bear  comparison  with  this  inspired 
''Love's  Song  of  Songs."  No  other  eye  has  looked  so 
deep  into  the  heart  of  God  as  did  the  eye  of  Paul ;  and 
therefore  these  things  could  be  better  depicted  by  him 
than  by  any  other  tongue  or  pen.  How  small  every- 
thing else  seems  !     Strive  to  reach  the  greatest  —  Love  ! 

Speaking  in  Tongues,  and  the  Gift  of  Prophecy. 

14:  1-25.  Striving  after  love  can  well  go  hand  in 
hand  with  the  striving  after  other  spiritual  gifts.  And 
the  highest  of  these  is  the  gift,  of  prophecy.  It  is  not 
true,  as  many  in  Corinth  thought,  that  speaking  in 
tongues   is   the   greatest.     Paul   gives   the   simple,   plain 


235 


words  which  all  can  understand  a  much  higher  place 
than  the  incomprehensible  speaking  in  tongues,  which 
many  looked  up  to  with  admiration,  regarding  it  as  the 
highest  inspiration. 

There  is  a  wide  difference  between  speakini;  in 
tongues,  as  it  was  called,  and  prophecy.  The  man  who 
''spoke  in  tongues"  spoke  to  God,  and  none  understood 
what  he  said,  unless  some  man  at  the  same  time  re- 
ceived the  gift  of  interpretation  and  was  thus  able  to 
explain  what  was  being  said,  and  edify  the  others.  The 
gift  of  prophecy  was  something  entirely  different.  The 
''prophet"  was  inspired  to  speak  in  a  way  to  be  under- 
stood by  all.  He  received  grace  from  God  to  reveal  the 
hidden  thoughts  of  the  heart,  and  God's  thoughts  of 
mercy ;  and  God  opens  the  eyes  of  the  prophet,  that  he 
may  see  the  meaning  of  the  Scripture  and  of  God's  pro- 
vidence. Thus  the  prophet  may  with  divine  authority 
comfort,  admonish  and  edify  the  Congregation :  so  that 
all,  whether  they  belong  to  the  Church  or  not,  may 
understand  that  here  is  revealed  the  power  of  God.  The 
speaking  with  tongues  may  be  well  enough,  but  the 
speech  of  prophecy  is  much  more  to  be  desired.  The 
first  is  compared  by  Paul  to  the  noise  of  a  musical  in- 
strument which  "gives  not  a  distinction  in  the  sounds." 
It  is  speaking  into  the  air,  and  means  no  more  to  the 
hearers  than  if  they  heard  a  language  of  which  they 
had  no  knowledge.  The  man  who  speaks  in  tongues 
has  some  sort  of  spiritual  exaltation,  but  his  sober  judg- 
ment has  nothing  to  do  with  the  matter.  It  is  much 
better,  then,  to  pray  to  God,  or  sing  his  praise,  in  words 
which  all  can  understand,  and  by  which  they  may  be 
edified.  This  is  what  Paul  himself  does.  "I  had  rather 
speak  five  words  with  my  understanding  than  ten  thou- 
sand words  in  a  tongue"  which  nobody  understands. 
The  putting  of  too  high  a  value  on  the  gift  of  tongues 
is  childish.     The  Word  of  God  wants  to  be  spoken  in  a 


236 

way  to  be  understood.  A  stranger  coining  into  a  Con- 
gregation in  which  all  were  given  to  this  form  of  re- 
ligious ecstacy,  or  frenzy,  must  regard  them  as  demented. 
But  if  they  prophesy,  his  conscience  will  be  touched,  and 
he  will  fall  down  and  worship,  declaring  that  God  is 
among  you  indeed. 

Decorum  in  the  Public  Church  Service. 

14 :  26-40.  The  purpose  of  the  service  is  edification  ; 
and  the  spiritual  gifts  are  to  be  used  with  this  purpose 
in  view,  so  that  all  things  may  be  done  decently  and  in 
order.  The  speaking  with  tongues  is  to  be  limited  to 
not  more  than  two  or  three  persons ;  and  if  there  is  no 
interpreter,  it  should  be  stopped.  Two  or  three  prophets 
may  speak,  each  in  his  turn,  that  all  may  be  instructed 
and  exhorted.  Good  order  must  be  maintained ;  for  God 
is  not  a  god  of  confusion,  but  of  peace.  Women  are  to 
keep  silence  in  the  Churches.  If  they  are  inspired  to 
pray  and  prophesy,  they  may  be  given  the  opportunity 
(11:5);  but  if  they  would  learn  anything,  let  them  ask 
their  own  husbands  at  home.  In  Corinth  they  had  fol- 
lowed another  rule;  but  this  could  not  decide  the  matter 
for  other  Churches.  People  of  spiritual  discernment 
should  agree  with  the  apostle  in  this  matter.  At  any 
rate,  let  them  desire  to  prophesy,  and  not  forbid  to  speak 
with  tongues ;  only  that  all  be  done  decently  and  in  order. 

7.    THE  RESURRECTION  OF  THE  DEAD  (15:  1-58). 

Here  we  come  to  the  last  of  the  questions  asked  by 
Corinthians.  It  concerns  one  of  the  most  important 
articles  of  the  Christian  faith,  that  dealing  with  the 
resurrection  of  the  dead.  In  the  Congregation  there 
have  been  some  whom  this  question  has  involved  in  dif- 
ficulties. To  many  it  was  a  stumbling-block.  The  doc- 
trine  concerning   resurrection    from   the   dead   had   not 


stood  out  clearly  among  the  people  of  Israel.  It  is  one 
of  the  truths  which  did  not  come  fully  out  into  the  light 
till  brought  out  by  the  resurrection  of  Christ.  To  the 
Greek  way  of  thinking,  this  doctrine  was  meaningless  or 
something  to  be  laughed  at  (see  verses  12  and  35).  So 
it  is  not  strange  that  the  Christians  were  sometimes 
troubled  with  doubts.  But  this  very  dogma  is  especially 
prominent  in  the  preaching  of  Paul.  Christian  faith  and 
hope  grow  in  this  soil;  take  it  away,  and  they  wither. 
Paul,  therefore,  discusses  this  important  matter  soberly 
and  without  reservation,  in  order  that  all  may  under- 
stand that  their  faith  and  hope  have  a  sure  foundation. 

Christ  Dead  and  Risen  Again. 

15:  1-11.  Paul  first  reminds  the  Corinthians  that  he 
had  always  preached  to  them  as  the  fundamental  truths 
of  salvation :  that  Christ  died  for  our  sins,  that  he  was 
buried,  and  was  raised  on  the  third  day  according  to  the 
Scriptures.  He  had  also  told  them  that  this  was  some- 
thing on  which  they  could  firmly  rely ;  for  many  men 
and  women  had  with  their  own  eyes  seen  the  risen 
Savior;  and  many  of  these  witnesses  were  still  living. 
Paul  himself,  also,  can  bear  testimony  to  this  truth.  For 
he  also  had  seen  Jesus ;  and  this  sight  had  changed  him 
from  a  persecutor  into  a  confessor  of  Christ.  It  can, 
then,  be  no  mere  hallucination;  it  is  something  about 
which  all  Christians  are  agreed. 

//  Christ  is  Not  Risen,   the    Whole   Christian   Religion 
falls  to  the  Ground. 

15  :  12-19.  The  resurrection  of  the  dead  must  not  be 
denied;  for  such  denial  would  be  the  same  as  a  denial 
that  Christ  was  raised  from  the  dead.  But  if  this  denial 
were  true,  the  preaching  of  the  apostles  would  be  a  great 
swindle.     For  the  central  idea  of  their  preaching  was 


238 

Christ's  death  and  resurrection.  And  the  Christian  faith 
would  be  vain;  there  could  be  no  forgiveness  of  sins. 
Forgiveness  depends  on  the  death  and  resurrection  of 
Christ.  If  he  is  not  risen,  then  they  that  have  died  in 
faith  in  the  crucified  and  risen  Savior  are  now  lost ;  for 
they  believed  a  lie.  And  we  who  live  are  the  most 
pitiable  of  all  men ;  for  we  cling  to  a  hope  which  does 
not  reach  out  beyond  this  present  life. 

Now  Christ  Is  Risen;  and  Salvation  Is  Sure. 

15:20-28.  However,  thank  God,  the  doubters  are 
wrong;  Christ  is  risen.  And  so  all  who  believe  in  Him 
shall  rise  also.  It  is  certain  that  death  came  upon  all 
by  the  sin  of  Adam ;  and  it  is  equally  certain  that  all 
who  belong  to  Christ  shall  be  made  alive.  With  Adam 
begins  the  long  line  of  those  who  die.  With  Christ 
begins  the  line  of  those  who  rise  again,  each  in  his  own 
order,  till  the  last  among  them  is  saved.  For  Christ 
shall  not  lose  any  of  them  that  are  His  own.  When 
He  shall  have  finished  His  work  of  salvation,  and  con- 
quered the  last  enemy,  which  is  death.  He  shall  place  in 
God's  hand  that  kingdom  of  grace  in  which  God  had 
made  Him  Lord  and  King;  and  God  shall  then  be  all  in 
all.  The  love  and  glory  of  God  shall  shine  upon  and 
bless  the  hosts  of  the  saved  in  the  New  Heaven  and  the 
New  Earth. 

In  Their  Habits  of  Life  the  Christians  Show  tliat  They 
Are  Sustained  by  Their  Faith  in  the  Resurreetion. 

15 :  29-34.  If  there  were  no  resurrection  it  would  be 
meaningless  to  follow  the  custom,  which  was  common 
in  Corinth  and  other  places,  of  letting  one's  self  be  bap- 
tized for  the  dead;  that  is,  for  deceased  brethren  in  the 
faith.  And  if  there  were  no  resurrection  it  would  be 
the   greatest    foolishness   to   submit   to   all   those    severe 


289 

trials  which  afflict  all  who  believe  in  Christ.  Then  it 
were  better  to  live  after  the  heathen  adage :  Let  us  eat 
and  drink,  for  tomorrow  we  die. — The  subject  is  of 
prime  importance;  they  may  lose  their  souls  if  they 
foolishly  listen  to  the  false  and  confusing  talk  concern- 
ing this  matter.  They  must  awake  to  soberness  in  their 
Christian  life,  and  shun  evil  companionship. 

The  Body  Which  Dies,  and  the  Body  JVhich  Is  Raised 

Again. 

15:35-58.  But  just  hozv  is  the  resurrection  of  the 
dead  to  be  understood?  One  must  guard  against  speak- 
ing lightly  of  this  deep  truth.  All  nature  here  testifies 
through  a  striking  analogy.  It  is  with  us  somewhat  as 
with  the  grain  of  corn;  this  is  deposited  in  the  earth, 
and  dies.  But  God  gives  it  a  new  body,  to  each  seed 
a  body  of  its  own;  of  the  wheat  comes  wheat. 
There  are  also  many  different  kinds  of  flesh,  and  dif- 
ferent bodies,  differing  in  glory.  And  all  this  is  God's 
creation.  He  can  give  us  a  body  as  it  pleases  Him. 
and  change  it  as  He  wills.  This  is  evident  in  the  resur- 
rection of  the  dead.  The  circumstance  that  death  de- 
stroys our  body  has  no  bearing  on  the  case ;  God  gives 
us  a  new  body,  incorruptible  and  glorified.  The  body 
we  now  have  is  in  the  image  of  the  first  Adam ;  in  its 
origin  and  nature  it  is  of  the  earth.  But  the  body  which 
God  shall  give  us  in  the  resurrection  is  in  the  image  of 
the  Heavenly  Adam,  Christ,  and  is  therefore  a  heavenly 
and  spiritual  body. 

Our  earthly  body  of  flesh  and  blood  is  corruptible, 
and  can  therefore  not  have  part  in  the  incorruptible  life 
in  God's  Kingdom.  Not  only  shall  they  who  have  died 
before  the  coming  again  of  Christ  be  raised  with  a  new 
and  incorruptible  body ;  but  we  also,  who  still  live,  shall 
at  the  last  trump  be  changed,  and  put  on  an  incorruptible 
body.     Here  again  Paul  soars  to  one  of  his  must  sub- 


240 

lime  heights.  Triumphantly  he  looks  beyond  death  and 
the  grave  to  the  day  when  the  corruptible  shall  put  on 
incorruption,  and  this  mortal  shall  put  on  immortal- 
ity. Then  is  God's  great  promise  fulfilled :  Death  is 
swallowed  up  in  victory.  Then  sin  also,  the  sting  of 
death,  is  forever  done  away  with ;  as  also  the  Law,  whose 
barbs  have  entered  deep  into  the  tortured  heart.  Thanks 
be  to  God,  who  gives  us  victory  through  our  Lyord 
Jesus  Christ. 

The  Christian  must,  then,  stand  steadfast  against 
every  objection  and  doubt,  and  live  a  full  Christian  life 
in  the  Lord's  service.  Work  for  the  Lord  shall  never 
fail  to  bear  fruit.  After  the  night  of  death  comes  the 
glorious  resurrection  morning. 

Conclusion  and  Gre;e:ting  (16). 
Concerning  the  Collection  for  Jerusalem. 

16 :  1-4.  Finally  the  apostle  here  answers  the  last 
question  of  the  Corinthians,  as  to  how  they  are  to  go 
about  the  work  of  collecting  money  for  the  poor  breth- 
ren in  Jerusalem.  He  gives  them  some  pointers  as  to 
the  best  procedure. 

16 :  5-24.  The  apostle  concludes  the  letter  with  the 
announcement  that  he  intends  coming  to  Corinth  as  soon 
as  possible;  and  he  bespeaks  their  good  will  for  Tim- 
othy. Apollos  can  not  come  to  them  at  this  time.  The 
apostle  particularly  asks  the  Congregation  to  do  proper 
reverence  to  Stephanus  and  his  family,  who  have  done 
so  much   for  the   Church   in   Corinth. 

Then  follow  a  salutation  and  Paul's  signature  with 
his  own  hand.  At  the  very  last,  before  the  benediction. 
Paul  writes :  "Maranatha."  A  comparison  with  Phil. 
4:  5  suggests  that  this  mysterious  "Maranatha"  probably 
means:    The  Lord  comes;  or:    The  Lord  is  near. 

The  letter  was  written  at  Ephesus  in  the  year  57. 


2  Corinthians 

In  regard  to  conditions  in  the  Church  during  the- 
time  elapsing  between  the  sending  of  the  two  letters^ 
see  Part  I,  pages  114-115. 

THE  PLAN  OF  THE  LETTER. 

I.    Paul's  apostolic  office.     1-7. 
II.    The  collection  for  the  poor  in  Jerusalem.     8-9. 
III.    Defense  and  attack.     10-13. 

1.   PAUL'S  APOSTOLIC  OFFICE  (1-7). 
Superscriptiojt  and  Salutation.     AMiction  and  Comfort.. 

1:1-11.  The  letter  begins  in  the  usual  way,  with 
a  superscription  and  a  greeting  (v.  1-3)  ;  and  then  fol- 
lows :  Blessed  be  the  God  and  Father  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  the  Father  of  mercies  and  God  of  all 
comfort. 

We  see  right  here  in  the  beginning  that  the  heart  of 
the  apostle  is  filled  with  deep  joy.  In  Ephesus  he  has 
just  lived  through  a  time  of  heavy  trouble;  and  he  has 
experienced  that  when  the  heart  is  racked  with  pain 
the  harp  of  joy  is  tuned  again,  that  it  may  sound  the 
better.  The  child  has  been  wonderfully  helped  and  com- 
forted by  his  heavenly  Father.  This  fills  his  heart  with 
thanksgiving  and  praise.  And  he  is  especially  glad  to 
have  suffered  for  Christ's  sake.  The  world  hated  and 
persecuted  Christ  while  he  was  on  this  earth ;  and  that 
is  what  they  do  who  hate  and  persecute  His  disciples.. 


242 

Thus  the  sufferings  of  Christ  are  continued  in  the  suf- 
ferings which  His  disciples  bear  for  His  sake.  To  the 
disciples  there  is  wonderfully  sweet  comfort  in  this 
thought.  God  has  caused  His  apostle  to  be  trained  in 
this  school  of  suffering  and  comfort,  that  he  might  learn 
how  to  comfort  others  who  suffer  for  Christ's  sake. 

In  Ephesus  the  enemies  of  Paul  had  nearly  taken  his 
life,  but  God  saved  him.  Thus  God  had  again  shown  him 
that  his  life  was  safe  in  the  keeping  of  his  heavenly 
Father. — Paul  had  also  found  great  help  and  comfort  in 
the  prayers  of  his  brethren  in  the  faith. 

Now  the  Congregation  in  Corinth,  also,  had  ex- 
perienced what  is  meant  by  suffering  for  Christ's  sake ; 
therefore  they  are  to  have  the  same  comfort. 

It  is  a  rich  and  warm  heart  which  is  revealed  to  us 
in  these  words.  Ten  times  the  apostle  here  uses  the 
word  comfort.  He  shows  us  a  heart  which  has  been 
comforted  by  the  Lord,  and  has  ceased  from  troubling; 
and  which  now  longs  to  help  others  who  are  afflicted 
to  find  the  same  peace. 

Charges  Against  the  Apostle. 

The  apostle  dwells  on  the  thought  of  peace  and  com- 
fort; and  then  he  also  remembers  the  strife  and  trouble, 
which  are  always  present.  His  enemies  were  all  the 
time  busy  with  all  sorts  of  charges  against  him,  hoping 
to  ruin  his  character  with  the  Congregation.  The  Juda- 
ists  were  especially  diligent  in  this.  Now  they  had  la- 
bored with  great  zeal  among  the  Corinthians,  and,  of 
course,  with  some  measure  of  success.  There  always 
are  people  to  believe  those  who  speak  ill  of  others.  In 
Corinth  the  apostle  was  charged  with  double  dealing 
and  want  of  courage ;  he  wrote  one  thing,  and  meant 
something  else ;  and  he  postponed  his  coming,  as  he  was 
afraid  to  show  himself  in  Corinth  according  to  promise. 
Paul  had  learnt  of  these  charges,  and  he  now  answers 
them. 


243 

Dishonesty. 

1 :  12-14.  There  is  one  thing,  says  the  apostle,  in 
which  he  takes  pride :  He  knows  in  his  own  heart  that 
he  always  had  tried  in  the  grace  of  God  to  lead  a  life 
in  holiness  and  sincerity ;  and  that  he  had  not,  as  his 
enemies  charged,  been  actuated  by  any  sordid  motives. 
Nor  is  there  in  his  letters  anything  hid  behind  the  plain 
meaning  of  his  words.  There  is  nothing  to  be  read  be- 
tween the  lines ;  and  he  hopes  that  the  Corinthians  will 
more  and  more  learn  to  understand  this.  On  the  Lord's 
great  day  all  shall  see  it.  Then  they  who  now  do  not 
understand  him,  shall  see  that  "we  are  your  glorying, 
even  as  ye  also  are  ours." 

Coivardice. 

1 :  15-22.  Nor  need  the  Corinthians  think  it  strange 
that  he  had  changed  his  route  in  coming  to  visit  them.. 
He  is  not  a  man  who  is  all  the  time  changing  his  mind. 
Of  his  gracious  God  and  Father  he  has  learnt  that  "yea" 
should  mean  "yea,"  and  "nay"  should  mean  "nay."  This 
is  right ;  as  God  has  shown  in  Christ,  whom  Paul  and  his 
friends  have  preached.  For  Christ  was  not  yea  and  nay 
at  the  same  time.  He  is  the  yea  and  Amen  of  all  God's 
promises.  And  God  has  sealed  us  to  Christ  and  given 
us  His  Spirit,  and  placed  His  own  stamp  upon  us.  We 
have  His  mark;  and  we  are  to  be  trusted.  And  God 
gave  us  the  earnest  of  the  Spirit  in  our  hearts. 

The  True  Reason  Why  He  Did  Not  Come  Sooner. 

1 :  23-2 :  4.  Paul  declares  before  God,  that  the  only 
reason  for  the  postponement  of  his  visit  to  the  Cor- 
inthians was  his  wish  to  spare  them.  He  did  not  want 
to  give  them  the  impression  that  he  was  a  lord  over 
their  faith.  On  the  contrary,  he  wished  to  do  every- 
thing possible  to  make  them  happy ;  for  they  stood  fast 


244 

in  the  faith.  He  had  no  wish  to  cause  them  any  grief. 
It  was  with  a  heavy  heart  that  he  had  written  his  former 
letter  to  them ;  that  they  might  understand  how  he  loved 
them,  and  be  able,  before  he  came,  to  correct  the  abuses 
of  which  he  complained,  and  that  their  joy  in  meeting 
one  another  might  be  the  greater. 

(There  has  been  much  discussion  as  to  the  identity 
of  the  letter  mentioned  in  2:3;  and  the  question  will, 
probably,  never  be  definitely  settled.  Some  scholars 
assume  that  the  letter  referred  to  is  chapters  10  to  13 
of  the  Epistle  here  under  consideration;  while  other 
scholars  hold  that  the  letter  referred  to  is  one  which 
has  been  lost.) 

A  Case  of  Discipline. 

2:5-11.  There  was  a  member  of  the  Church  in 
Corinth  who  had  caused  the  apostle  and  the  Congrega- 
tion much  sorrow.  We  do  not  know  who  this  man  was, 
nor  what  he  had  done.  It  is  reasonably  certain  that  this 
is  not  the  man  referred  to  in  1  Cor.  5:1  as  being  guilty 
of  incest.  It  is  more  probable  that  he  was  one  who  had 
brought  dissension  into  the  Church  by  slandering  the 
apostle  and  his  supporters.  Paul  had  written  to  the 
Congregation  about  this  matter  and  asked  them  to  put 
a  stop  to  the  activities  of  this  man ;  and  this  the  Congre- 
gation had  now  done.  Therefore  they  must  now  forgive 
the  offender,  says  the  apostle,  even  as  he,  the  apostle, 
had  forgiven  him.  Now  they  must  let  love  rule,  in 
order  that  "no  advantage  may  be  gained  over  us  by 
Satan;  for  we  are  not  ignorant  of  his  devices." 

Days  of  Anxiety. 

2 :  12-17.  The  apostle  goes  on  to  say  that  he  came 
to  Troas  to  preach  the  Gospel,  and  all  went  well.  But 
he  was  troubled  in  mind;  as  Titus,  whom  he  was  ex- 
pecting with  a  message  from  Corinth,  did  not  come.     So 


245 

Paul  went  on  to  Macedonia,  hoping  to  meet  Titus ;  and 
there  he  at  last  received  the  long-expected  message. 
(See  Chap.  7.) — Thank  God,  who  always  gives  us  vic- 
tory in  Chirst.  In  every  place  where  the  Gospel  had 
been  preached  it  had  shown  its  power.  To  them  that 
received  it  in  faith  it  brought  salvation;  to  the  others, 
death.  But  what  man  is  fit  to  do  this  work?  Certainly 
not  one  who  corrupts  the  Word  of  God  for  his  own 
profit.  But  Paul  has  as  the  servant  of  Christ  preached 
the  pure  doctrine,  such  as  God  gave  it  to  him.  There- 
fore God  had  so  wonderfully  blessed  his  labors. 

The  Ministry,  Old  and  New. 

3:  1-11.  Do  I  write  this  in  order  to  commend  my- 
self? asks  the  apostle.  His  enemies  charged  him  with 
being  given  to  boasting.  No,  declares  the  apostle;  his 
enemies  may  need  some  letters  of  recommendation,  but 
he  does  not.  His  recommendation  is  written  in  the 
hearts  of  the  Corinthians ;  written  there  by  the  Spirit  of 
God.  For  through  Paul's  work  they  were  become  an 
epistle  from  Christ  to  all  men.  Of  himself  he  could 
not  have  accomplished  this ;  but  God  had  given  him  the 
ability  to  be  a  minister  of  the  New  Covenant  established 
through  Christ.  And  this  ministration  far  exceeded  in 
glory  that  of  the  Old  Covenant  established  through 
Moses.  For  the  letter  of  the  Law,  written  on  stone, 
kills  and  condemns  the  man  who  tries  to  keep  it.  To 
be  sure,  the  Old  Covenant  also  has  a  certain  glory ;  for 
it  is  given  of  God.  But  its  glory  is  as  nothing  com- 
pared with  that  of  the  New  Covenant;  for  the  glory 
of  the  old  shall  pass  away  (Romans  7).  The  same 
holds  true  in  regard  to  the  ministry  of  the  two  cove- 
nants. The  new  is  engraved  by  the  Spirit  of  God  on 
our  hearts ;  and  by  our  ministration  God  works,  not 
death  and  condemnation,  as  did  the  Law,  but  life  and 


246 

righteousness.     The   glory  of  the   New   Covenant   sur- 
passes all  other  glory,  and  shall  never  pass  away. 

"Seeing  We  Have  This  Ministry,  We  Paint  Not." 

3 :  12-4 :  6.  As  ministers  of  the  New  Covenant  we 
may  proceed  with  boldness ;  and  we  do  not  need,  as  did 
Moses,  a  veil  to  hide  the  truth  that  the  glory  passes 
away.  This  veil  even  now  prevents  Israel  from  under- 
standing the  Holy  Scriptures  of  the  Old  Covenant.  Not 
until  they  turn  to  the  Lord  do  they  see  that  the  Old 
is  replaced  by  the  New  Covenant  in  Christ.  In  the  Old 
was  a  trinity  of  the  Law,  the  letter,  bondage;  in  the 
New  it  is  Christ,  the  Spirit,  liberty.  Here  we  see  with 
unveiled  face  the  glory  of  the  Lord,  as  in  a  mirror  suited 
to  the  spiritual  eye  which  we  now  have.  And  thereby 
we  are  changed  more  and  more  by  the  Spirit  into  the 
image  of  the  Lord. 

Thus,  as  the  Lord's  servants,  we  do  not  lose  courage, 
nor  do  w^e  follow  ways  of  craftiness.  We  do  not  cor- 
rupt God's  Word,  but  preach  the  truth  as  it  is,  and  thus 
win  souls  for  Christ.  The  fact  that  not  all  accept  the 
Gospel  need  not  surprise  us;  for  the  god  of  this  world 
has  blinded  the  minds  of  the  unbelieving,  that  they  may 
not  see  the  light  of  the  Gospel  of  the  glory  of  Christ,  in 
whom  we  see  the  image  of  God.  Him  we  preach.  God 
has  made  His  glory  to  shine  into  our  hearts,  in  order 
that  we  may  let  it  shine  on  others. 

The  Glory  of  the  Apostolic  Office  Compensates  for  All 
Afflictions. 

4 :  7-5 :  10.  This  glorious  treasure  is  ours  to  keep, 
says  the  apostle;  but  that  we  may  ascribe  the  honor  to 
God,  and  not  to  ourselves,  we  are  as  earthen  vessels ; 
and   furthermore  we  are  pressed  on  every  side  by  af- 


247 

fliction  and  persecution.  But  we  do  not  despair  or  lose 
heart ;  for  that  which  we  suffer  we  suffer  for  Jesus'  sake. 
He  is  the  real  object  of  the  persecution ;  Him  they 
would  put  to  death.  But  the  only  result  of  their  eft'orts 
is  to  make  the  eternal  life  of  Jesus  to  be  manifested  in 
us  and  in  the  Congregation.  For  as  we  suffer  for  Jesus' 
sake,  continues  the  apostle,  so  also  for  your  sake;  that 
through  your  afflictions  and  our  words  the  grace  may  be 
multiplied,  and  cause  thanksgiving  to  abound  the  more 
to  the  glory  of  God. 

Even  if  these  afflictions  cause  our  outward  man  to 
decay,  we  do  not  lose  courage ;  for  the  inward  man  is 
renewed  day  by  day.  The  affliction  is  light  and  but  for 
a  moment,  and  is  follow^ed  by  an  eternal  weight  of  glory. 
We  do  not  look  on  the  visible  and  temporal,  but  on  the 
invisible  and  eternal  things ;  for  we  know  that  when 
the  earthly  tabernacle  of  our  soul  is  dissolved,  God  will 
give  us  a  new  body,  eternal,  in  the  heavens.  For  this 
we  long  w^hen  the  troubles  come  upon  us ;  for  we  know 
that  we  shall  exchange  this  earthly  Hfe  for  a  real  life 
in  Heaven,  and  not,  as  is  the  heathen  idea,  for  a  life 
which  is  but  the  shadow  of  a  dream. 

God,  who  has  made  us  able  to  reach  the  glorious 
goal,  gives  us  the  earnest  of  the  Spirit.  So  we  are  of 
good  courage ;  for  we  know.  Here  on  earth  we  must  be 
satisfied  to  believe  without  seeing.  We  often  wish  that 
we  were  already  at  home  with  the  Lord.  Therefore  we 
make  it  our  aim  to  live  in  a  way  well-pleasing  to  Him. 
Some  time  w^e  must,  before  his  judgment-seat,  answer 
for  everything  done  in  the  body;  and  so  will  be  decided 
what  the  judgment  shall  be. 

In  this  beautiful  section  of  the  letter,  where  every 
line  shows  us  the  skill  of  a  great  literary  artist  in  find- 
ing gripping  words  in  which  to  clothe  his  sublime 
thoughts,  the  apostle  lets  us  look  into  his  heart.  We  see 
a  deeply  emotional  religious  life,  a  spirit  of  resignation. 


248 

a  courage  in  affliction,  a  confident  hope,  such  as  is  not 
often  seen.     All  for  God!     All  for  his  fellow-men! 

Self-Defense  and  an  Explanation. 

5:  11-21.  Knowing  that  he  is  to  answer  before  God 
for  everything,  he  is  striving  to  win  souls  for  the  Lord, 
says  the  apostle.  This  is  known  to  God ;  and  also  to  the 
members  of  the  Church  in  Corinth,  if  these  will  but  ask 
their  own  conscience.  Of  this  glory  they  can  not  rob 
him;  though  this  is  more  than  can  be  said  for  his  ene- 
mies, who  had  wormed  their  way  into  the  Church.  If 
he  had  been  ''beside  himelf,"  or  had  been  in  an  ecstatic 
mood,  it  had  been  unto  God.  But  he  had  not,  as  his 
enemies  charged,  boasted  that  his  being  given  a  special 
commission  made  him  the  special  friend  of  God  on  high. 
And  when  we  are  sober-minded,  continues  the  apostle, 
it  is  for  your  sake.  For  the  love  of  Christ  constrains 
us;  who  died  and  rose  again  for  us  all,  to  the  end  that 
all  may  die  unto  themselves  and  live  unto  Him.  There- 
fore we  no  longer  base  our  knowledge  of  people  on 
externals ;  and  even  if  I,  before  my  conversion,  did  know 
and  judge  Christ  from  such  an  outward  viewpoint,  I  do 
it  no  more. 

No,  if  any  man  is  in  Christ,  he  is  a  new  creature; 
the  old  things  are  passed  away.  But  all  this  is  the  work 
of  God;  who  in  Christ  has  reconciled  the  world  unto 
Himself,  in  that  He  laid  all  the  sin  of  the  world  on 
Him,  the  innocent,  that  we  in  Him  might  be  righteous 
before  God.  And  He  has  sent  us  as  embassadors  to 
announce  this  good  news  to  reconciliation  to  all  the 
world.  Therefore  we  beseech  all  on  behalf  of  Christ : 
be  ye  reconciled  to  God. 

Paul  and  the  Church  in  Corinth. 

6 :  1-7 :  16.  Paul  here  continues  :  Truly,  the  apos- 
tolic office  is  one  of  great  honor,  and  God  has  given  me 


249 

this  office  among  you.  And  the  purpose  of  our  preach- 
ing has  always  been  that  you  might  accept  the  grace 
which  God  gives  you,  and  be  blest  by  it;  and  we  have 
tried  in  everything  to  show  that  we  are  ministers  of 
God  who  go  on  with  their  work  in  spite  of  all  afflic- 
tions and  anxieties;  through  evil  and  good  report;  as 
deceivers,  and  yet  true;  as  unknown,  and  yet  well 
known ;  as  dying,  and  behold,  we  live ;  as  chastened,  and 
not  killed;  as  sorrowful,  yet  always  rejoicing;  as  poor, 
yet  making  many  rich ;  as  having  nothing,  and  yet  pos- 
sessing all  things. 

You  have,  he  continues,  a  warm  place  in  our  heart, 
you  Corinthians.  We  have  dealt  openly  and  honestly 
with  you,  and  now  you  must  do  the  same  toward  us. 
Be  not  unequally  yoked  with  unbelievers;  for  believing 
Christians  can  have  no  fellowship  with  unbelieving 
heathens  in  their  iniquity.  God  can  no  more  dwell  to- 
gether with  idols  in  a  man's  heart  than  Christ  can 
dwell  with  Satan.  If  we  would  inherit  God's  promises, 
we  must  shun  the  wickedness  of  the  unbelievers. 

But  you  should  open  your  hearts  to  us ;  for  we  have 
always  tried  to  do  you  good.  I  have  said  to  you  be- 
fore, that  we  are  bound  together  in  life  and  death.  I 
have  great  confidence  in  you,  and  I  am  not  afraid  to 
glory' on  your  behalf;  and  in  the  midst  of  our  many 
trials  I  still  look  confidently  to  the  future.  The  reports 
which  Titus  brought  from  Corinth  were  very  comfort- 
ing. He  told  me  of  your  longing  for  me,  your  sorrow 
over  the  pain  which  you  had  caused  me,  and  your 
earnest  desire  that  all  might  again  be  well ;  so  that  I 
rejoiced  yet  more. 

Now,  even  if  I  made  you  sorry  through  the  letter  T 
sent  you,  I  do  not  repent  of  it ;  for  it  was  a  godly  sor- 
row, which  works  repentance  unto  salvation.  Such  re- 
pentance brings  no  regret;  but  the  sorrow  of  the 
worldly-minded   brings   death.     Your  love   for  me   has 


250 

filled  me  with  great  joy.     Titus,  also,  has  come  to  love 
the  Congregation  in  Corinth. 

2.   THE  COLLECTION  FOR  THE  POOR  IN  JERUSALEM 

(8-9). 

The  apostle  here  begins  to  discuss  the  collection  in 
which  he  is  interested.  He  tells  of  the  splendid  rcord 
made  by  the  Churches  in  jMacedonia,  though  they  had 
been  in  all  sorts  of  trouble,  and  were  very  poor.  And  he 
urges  the  Corinthians  to  show  similar  zeal  in  the  cause. 
Titus  is  to  encourage  them  in  this  matter.  They  must 
not  forget  God's  many  benefits ;  and  the  remembrance 
of  these  should  make  them  zealous  in  this  labor  of  love. 
Above  all  things  they  must  keep  Jesus  before  their  eyes; 
who  though  rich  bcame  poor  in  order  to  make  them 
rich.  So  they  must  go  to  the  work  cheerfully,  and  finish 
it  to  the  best  of  their  ability. 

He  is  glad  that  the  Congregation  sent  one  of  the 
Christian  brethren  to  him  (verse  18  sqq.)  ;  for  thus  he  is 
guarded  against  any  possible  charge  of  dishonesty  in 
connection  with  the  large  charity  fund.  He  wants  to 
have  clean  hands  before  God  and  men. 

Let  every  man  give,  then,  according  to  his  means ; 
for  the  Lord  loves  a  liberal  and  cheerful  giver.  And 
as  these  gifts  were  to  relieve  the  distress  of  breth- 
ren in  the  faith,  the  Corinthians  would  gladden  the 
hearts  of  these  brethren  also  by  showing  them  the 
genuine  Christian  spirit  of  charity,  and  causing  them 
to  thank  God  for  the  power  of  His  Gospel  everywhere. 
Thus  the  bond  of  fraternal  union  will  be  the  stronger. 

3.    DEFENSE  AND  ATTACK   (10-13). 

With  cutting  severity  Paul  here,  in  the  closing  chap- 
ters of  his  letter,  attacks  his  Judaistic  opponents.  With- 
out mincing  matters  he  shows  up  their  double-dealing 


251 

and  hypocrisy.  And  with  equal  emphasis  he  defends 
the  truth  of  his  preaching  and  his  right  to  speak  with 
authority  as  the  apostle  of  the  Lord.  And  so  the  Cor- 
inthians must  choose  whom  they  will  follow. 

The  Attitude  of  Paul  in  This  Fight. 

10:  1-6.  I  entreat  you,  that  you  do  not  by  your  con- 
duct compel  me  to  use  my  full  authority  as  an  apostle 
when  I  come  to  you.  Thus  the  apostle  introduces  his 
powerful  plea  in  the  pending  controversy.  It  is  the 
trumpctrcall  to  battle.  It  is  not  true,  as  his  enemies 
have  asserted,  that  he  is  brave  when  at  a  distance,  l3Ut 
loses  his  courage  when  face  to  face  with  the  danger. 
He  does  not  want  to  be  unduly  severe  with  those  who 
charge  him  with  walking  according  to  the  flesh.  It  is 
that  that  he  walks  in  the  flesh;  but  it  is  not  true  that 
he  employs  other  than  spiritual  weapons.  Fleshly 
weapons  would  have  no  value  in  a  war  of  this  kind. 
No,  his  weapons  are  mighty  before  God  to  overcome 
any  strongholds  which  human  ingenuity  may  seek  to  build 
against  the  true  knowledge  of  God ;  and  they  are  able  even 
to  take  the  thoughts  captive,  and  make  them  obedient  ser- 
vants of  Christ.  And  Paul  declares  himself  prepared  to 
punish  those  who  continue  to  be  disobedient  after  the  obe- 
dience of  the  Congregation  has  been  fully  reestablished. 

Paul's  Work  Is  His  IVitness. 

10:7-18.  If  they  would  but  look  to  that  which  is 
before  their  face,  they  should  have  no  difficulty  in  under- 
standing on  which  side  the  truth  is.  Paul's  opponents 
are  sure  that  they  "are  Christ's,"  and  it  is  this,  they 
claim,  which  inspires  their  efforts.  But  then  they  should 
in  common  fairness  give  him  the  benefit  of  the  same 
presumption.  He  might  well  boast  of  the  power  which 
God  has  given  him  to  build  up  the  Congregation,  and 
not,  like  his  opponents,  to  tear  down  what  others  have 


252 

built;  but  he  does  not  do  it.  For  he  does  not  want  to* 
give  his  enemies  any  excuse  for  saying  that  he  is  bold 
in  his  letters,  but  cowardly  when  with  them  in  person. 
He  asks  those  who  say  this  to  take  notice  that  he  is  con- 
sistently the  same  when  writing  and  when  present  with 
them.  But  he  does  not  pretend  to  be  able  to  compete  with 
them  in  the  art  of  boasting.  They  measure  themselves 
by  their  own  yardstick,  and  compare  themselves  with 
themselves ;  in  which  they  show  a  plentiful  lack  of  sense.. 
No,  he  can  not  compete  with  them  in  boasting  of 
himself.  But  he  measures  himself  with  the  measure 
w^hich  God  had  apportioned  to  him:  That  he  might 
reach  Corinth  with  the  Gospel.  To  this  measure  he 
comes  up,  but  does  not  go  beyond  it.  He  does  not  push 
his  way  into  another  man's  field  of  labor,  nor  does  he 
give  himself  credit  for  the  work  of  others.  And  he 
hopes  to  be  equal  to  his  duties  in  Corinth,  in  order  that 
he  then  may  extend  his  efforts  still  farther  toward  the 
west.  To  commend  one's  self  profits  nothing.  But 
when  the  Lord  commends  a  man  by  prospering  him  in 
his  work,  this  is  something  really  worth  while. 

Paul's  Praise  of  Himself. 

11:  1-15.  Still,  Paul  says,  they  must  put  up  with  a 
little  foolishness  from  him  also.  For  his  soul  burns  with 
godly  zeal  for  them.  He  had  hoped  to  present  the  Con- 
gregation in  Corinth  as  a  pure  virgin  to  the  heavenly 
Bridegroom.  But  now  there  seemed  to  be  danger  that 
the  crafty  old  serpent  might  destroy  the  Congregation 
and  lead  them  away  from  the  simple  faith  in  Christ. 
For  they  willingly  open  the  doors  to  any  strolling 
preacher  who  may  come  to  them ;  without  taking  any 
thought  of  the  fact  that  these  Judaistic  exhorters  come 
with  another  Christ,  another  Spirit,  and  another  Gospel 
(Gal.  1:7). 


253 

The  apostle  continues  by  saying  with  biting  scorn. 
that  if  there  must  be  a  comparison  of  men,  he  hopes  not 
to  be  a  whit  behind  the  very  chiefest  apostles.  Even 
though  he  be  rude  in  speech,  he  surely  has  made  it  plain 
to  them  that  he  was  not  absolutely  ignorant  of  spiritual 
matters.  Or  had  he,  perhaps,  done  wrong  to  preach  the 
Gospel  to  them  without  being  paid  for  it?  He  did  not 
wish  to  be  a  burden  on  them ;  so  he  let  the  brethren 
in  Macedonia  supply  his  necessities.  They  deserved 
thanks  for  their  liberality.  He  had  acted  out  of  love 
for  the  Corinthians,  God  knows.  And  his  purpose  was 
to  continue  to  work  without  pay;  so  that  those  false 
apostles,  those  deceitful  workers,  those  servants  of 
Satan,  who  masked  themselves  as  ministers  of  righteous- 
ness, might  be  compelled  also  to  work  without  pay,  if 
they  wanted  to  boast  that  they  were  Paul's  equals.  They 
shall  lie  on  the  beds  they  themselves  have  made. 

11:  16-33.  Even  if  it  be  foolish  to  boast,  says  the 
apostle,  he  must  be  excused  for  doing  it.  For  it  does 
seem  as  though  the  church  members  in  Corinth,  them- 
selves so  wise  in  their  own  conceit,  have  a  weakness  for 
fools;  they  allow  themselves  to  be  enslaved,  eaten,  op- 
pressed, slapped  in  the  face,  by  these  braggarts,  who  can 
put  forth  nothing  in  which  they  excel.  If  there  is  to 
be  any  competition  in  such  childish  amusement  as  boast- 
ing, then  the  apostle  may  say  that  he,  also,  as  fully  as 
any  of  them,  is  a  Hebrew,  an  Israelite,  a  son  of  Abra- 
ham, a  servant  of  Christ.  Yes,  more  truly  than  any  of 
the  others;  for  none  of  these  can  show  up  anything 
equalling  Paul's  experience. 

On  this  subject  the  apostle  grows  violently  and  in- 
dignantly eloquent.  His  anger  because  of  the  efforts 
of  these  mischief-makers  to  destroy  him  and  his  Con- 
gregations inspires  him  with  a  forceful  eloquence  which 
is  irresistible. 

12 :  1-10.     Now  that  he  is  touching  on  this  theme,  on 


254 

which  it  is  not  profitable  to  dwell  at  any  length,  he  must 
mention  briefly  the  visions  and  revelations  which  God 
has  given  him.  He,  Paul,  had  been  allowed  to  look 
straight  into  God's  Paradise ;  and  there  he  heard  and 
saw  things  which  it  is  not  lawful  for  a  man  to  utter. 
This  might  tempt  one  to  boast.  But  in  order  that  Paul 
might  not  be  great  in  his  own  conceit  there  had  been 
given  him  a  thorn  in  the  flesh.  When  he  prayed  three 
times  that  he  might  be  rid  of  it,  he  received  the  an- 
swer: My  grace  is  sufficient  for  thee;  for  my  power  is 
made  perfect  when  exercised  through  weak  instruments. 
Wherefore,  says  Paul,  I  glory  in  my  weakness,  that 
nothing  of  my  own  may  keep  the  power  of  Christ  from 
resting  upon  me.  And  I  am  of  good  cheer  in  ever\' 
affliction  suffered  for  Christ's  sake ;  for  I  know  that 
when  I  am  weak,  then  am  I  strong. 

This  ''thorn  in  the  flesh"  probably  is  a  reference  to  a 
painful  disease  of  which  the  apostle  often  had  violent 
attacks,  and  which  had  a  peculiarly  depressing  influence 
on  his  mind. 

12:11-21.  The  others  have  forced  him  into  this 
boasting,  though  he  does  not  like  it ;  the  others  should 
rather  have  done  the  boasting  of  him.  They  knew  very 
well  that  he  had  done  signs  and  wonders  and  mighty 
works  in  their  midst,  thus  proving  himself  one  of  the 
Lord's  apostles.  There  is  only  one  thing  in  which  the 
Congregation  in  Corinth  has  been  slighted:  He  had  not 
been  a  burden  on  them ;  a  slight  which  he  hopes  that 
they  will  forgive  him.  Nor  does  he  intend  in  the  future 
to  take  any  money  from  them  ;  neither  he  nor  his  mes- 
sengers. What  he  has  said  here  is  not  to  be  understood 
as  a  defense.  He  is  a  servant  of  Christ,  and  has  laid 
all  these  matters  in  the  hands  of  God.  But  all  is  to  be 
for  the  edification  of  the  Corinthians,  whom  he  tenderly 
loves.  However,  he  is  afraid  that  the  ex])ected  meeting 
between  them  and  him  will  not  be  exactly  such  as  they 


255 

might  wish.  It  looks  as  if  God  would  humiliate  him 
through  the  dissensions  and  the  wrangling  in  the  Con- 
gregation. Moreover,  the  apostle  had  been  deeply 
grieved  by  learning  that  many  of  those  who  had  offended 
by  their  immoral  life  had  not  yet  repented  and  changed 
their  shameless  conduct. 

13:  1-10.  As  he  has  said  beforehand;  if  conditions 
are  not  improved  before  he  comes,  he  will  not  spare  the 
Corinthians.  They  shall  find  that  it  is  not  the  weak  apostle 
who  is  speaking;  but  that  Christ  himself,  who  sits  at  the 
right  hand  of  the  Father,  is  speaking  through  his  servant. 

Now  they  must  try  their  own  selves,  w^hether  Christ 
is  in  them.  The  apostle  earnestly  hopes  that  he  may  not 
be  obliged  to  deal  harshly  with  them.  He  could  wish 
to  be  weak,  were  they  but  strong.  Therefore  he  now 
writes  to  them ;  in  order  that  when  he  comes  to  them, 
he  may  be  able  to  use  the  time  in  building  up,  and  not 
in  tearing  down. 

13:11-13.  The  letter  closes  with  a  salutation  and 
hearty  good  wishes,  and  the  benediction. 

That  was  a  hard  fight  which  Paul  had  in  the  Church 
at  Corinth.  His  enemies,  and  especially  the  Judaists, 
had  been  willing  to  use  any  means  through  which  they 
might  hope  to  undermine  his  apostolic  authority.  What- 
ever he  said  and  did  they  managed  to  turn  into  weapons 
against  him.  They  would  stoop  to  anything;  falsehood 
and  slander  and  all  sorts  of  secret  schemes.  But  Paul  took 
up  the  gauntlet  thrown  down  to  him,  and  he  won  the  vic- 
tory.    Titus  had  in  this  war  been  his  active  lieutenant. 

Soon  after  writing  this  letter  the  apostle  did  visit 
Corinth;  and  his  stay  in  that  Congregation  seems  lo 
have  been  peaceful  and  in  every  way  satisfactory.  The 
letter  to  the  Romans,  which  he  wTote  in  Corinth,  shows 
him  as  one  whose  mind  was  at  peace. 

The  present  letter  was,  as  we  have  seen,  written  from 
Macedonia,  though  the  particular  place  is  not  mentioned. 
It  was  written  in  the  year  57. 


The  Letter  to  the  Galatians 

It  appears  from  the  superscription  that  this  letter  is 
not  addressed  to  any  one  Congregation,  but  is  a  circular 
letter  to  the  Christians  of  Galatia.  Just  where  these 
several  Congregations  were,  and  at  what  time  Paul  had 
first  visited  them,  are  questions  which  have  been  much 
discussed,  but  have  not  been  answered. 

In  the  fourth  and  the  third  century  before  Christ 
great  numbers  of  the  Celts,  living  in  western  Europe, 
went  east  and  overran  the  peninsula  of  Greece.  During 
these  plundering  expeditions  an  army  of  the  robbers, 
twenty  thousand  strong,  separated  from  the  main  force, 
and  under  the  leadership  of  thirteen  chieftains  they  went 
over  to  Asia  Minor.  As  chief  among  the  leaders  are 
mentioned  Leonorios  and  Lucrarios.  The  army  was 
an  army  of  brigands ;  and  they  laid  the  lands  waste  with- 
fire  and  sword,  until  they  were  conquered  and  their 
depredations  stopped  by  the  brave  king  Attalos  I.  of 
Pergamus.  They  were  then  forced  to  retreat;  and  they 
settled  on  the  beautiful  plain  around  the  headwaters  of 
the  rivers  Halys  and  Sangarios  in  the  central  districts 
of  Asia  Minor. 

There  were  three  separate  branches  of  these  Celts, 
or  Galatians.  The  territory  was  divided  among  them; 
and  they  formed  three  kingdoms,  each  with  its  own 
capital.  In  the  course  of  time  they  were  merged  more 
and  more  into  one  people;  and  they  continued  to  have  a 
weakness  for  setting  out  on  expeditions  of  plunder. 

When   the   Romans   made   their   way   through   Asia 


257 

Minor  they  had  little  trouble  in  getting  the  upper  hand 
over  the  Galatians;  but  they  let  these  keep  their  own 
rulers  and  have  political  liberty,  on  condition  that  they 
no  longer  follow  their  old  trade  as  robbers.  The  Ga- 
latian  princes  found  it  necessary  to  keep  faith  with 
Rome;  and  Rome  repaid  them  by  giving  them  more 
territory.  Under  king  Amyntas,  who  had  won  the  favor 
of  Caesar  Augustus,  Galatia  had  its  borders  extended  to 
embrace,  besides  Galatia  proper,  the  countries  of  Pisidia 
and  Isauria  and  parts  of  Lycaonia  and  Pamphylia,  Phry- 
gia  and  Cilicia.  After  the  death  of  Amyntas  the  whole 
kingdom  was  made  a  Roman  province,  under  the  direct 
rule  of  Rome,  and  an  imperial  propraetor  was  appointed 
governor.  Pie  had  his  capital  at  Ancyra,  and  the  whole 
district  received  officially  the  name  of  Galatia. 

During  these  two  centuries  in  Asia  Minor  the  orig- 
inal national  characteristics  of  the  Galatians  had  grad- 
ually disappeared,  owing  to  the  influence  of  the  neigh- 
boring Greeks.  Thus  at  the  time  of  Christ  the  old 
Celtic  language  had  died  out;  as  may  be  seen  by  in- 
scriptions  dating   from  that   time. 

The  religion  of  the  Galatians  had  become  identical 
with  that  of  the  Greeks  and  Romans.  Thus  there  was 
in  Tavium  a  colossal  statue  of  the  god  Zeus.  Festivals 
were  held  in  honor  of  the  Greek  gods,  and  Galatian 
women  then  acted  as  priestesses.  In  Ancyra  the  Gala- 
tians had  built  a  most  splendid  temple  to  the  divine 
Augustus  and  the  goddess  Roma. 

It  may  be  mentioned  that  there  were  in  Galatia  also 
many  Jews;  especially,  according  to  Josephus,  in  the 
capital  Ancyra.  They  were  in  lively  communication  with 
the  Jews  in  Jerusalem. 

Now,  where  are  the  Congregations  to  whom  this 
letter  is  sent?  Some  hold  that  they  were  in  the  Roman 
province  of  Galatia,  and  think  that  the  letter  is  intended 
for   the   Churches   of   Antioch,   in   Pisidia,   of   Iconium, 


258 

Lystra  and  Derbe,  and  other  places  visited  by  Paul  on 
his  first  missionary  journey  (Part  I,  p.  64-65). 

Other  scholars  hold,  that  the  people  in  these  cities 
hardly  have  been  called  ''Galatians"  as  Paul  addresses 
them  (Gal.  3),  and  think  that  the  Galatians  are  the  in- 
habitants of  Galatia  proper,  and  that  Paul  came  to  this 
part  of  Asia  Minor  for  the  first  time  on  his  second  mis- 
sionary expedition  (Part  I,  p.  82-83).  When  he  came 
there,  sickness  obliged  him  to  stay  there  quietly  for  a 
time.  He  made  use  of  this  enforced  vacation  to  preach 
the  Gospel,  and  his  labor  bore  abundant  fruit  (Acts 
16:6;  Gal.  4:13  sq.). 

On  his  third  journey  Paul  came  to  this  place  for  the 
purpose  of  strengthening  the  brethren  (Part  I,  p.  104 
sq.).  The  Judaists  had  at  that  time  begun  their  efi:*orts 
to  destroy  Paul's  work;  and  the  apostles  impressed  on 
the  brethren  how  dangerous  it  was  to  listen  to  these 
false  teachers   (1:9;  4:16;  5:3). 

When  he  had  gone  away  the  matter  took  a  turn  for  the 
worse.  The  Judaists  became  more  active,  and  the  results 
to  the  Churches  were  most  serious.  Their  loyalty  began 
to  waver.  It  was  to  save  the  Church  that  Paul  wrote 
this  letter,   so   full   of  vigorous   determination   to  fight. 

The  Judaists  had  among  the  Galatians  taken  the  po- 
sition that  righteousness  was  to  be  reached  through  the 
Law;  and  that  they  must  through  circumcision  be 
grafted  on  to  the  Jewish  people  if  they  wished  to  be 
joint  heirs  with  them  in  the  kingdom  of  the  Messiah. 
When  God  had  given  the  Law,  said  they,  it  must  have 
been  his  purpose  that  it  should  be  obeyed.  For  chis  very 
reason  Christ  had  come  to  the  world.  Christ  had  Him- 
self put  Himself  under  the  Law  and  followed  its  pre- 
cepts; and  the  same  thing  was  true  of  the  Congrega- 
tion in  Jerusalem. 

In  this  manner  they  addressed  the  Galatians,  who 
still  were  young  children  in  the  Christian  faith. 


259 

.  The  Galatians  loved  and  admired  their  apostle ;  and 
this  bond  must  be  severed  before  the  Judaists  could  hope 
to  gain  a  foothold.  So,  in  order  that  they  might  intro- 
duce their  doctrine,  they  tried  first  to  undermine  the 
authority  of  the  apostle.  They  contended  that  Paul  was 
not  rightfully  an  apostle  at  all.  Jesus  had  not  called 
him;  and  Paul  had,  in  fact,  never  even  seen  the  Savior. 
So  it  could  not  be  right  to  follow^  Paul  in  matters  of 
faith. 

Thus  it  became  necessary  for  the  apostle  to  guard 
these  dear  Congregations  against  the  impending  danger ; 
therefore  he  sends  them  this  circular  letter.  He  points 
out  the  injustice  of  the  personal  attacks  made  on  him  by 
the  enemy;  and  then  he  reminds  the  Galatians  that  both 
his  apostolic  office  and  his  preaching  were  endorsed  by 
the  council  of  apostles  and  the  Mother  Church  in  Jeru- 
salem. Finally  he  shows  them,  by  proofs  from  the 
Scriptures,  the  radical  differences  between  his  preaching 
and  the  false  doctrine  of  the  Judaists. 

THE  PLAN  OF  THE  LETTER. 

Sahitation  and  introduction.     1 :  1-10. 
I.    Paul  has  received  his  apostolic  office  from  God.     1  :  11-2:  21. 
ir.    Christian  liberty.     3-5:12. 
III.    The  use  and  abuse  of  liberty.     5:  13-6:  10. 
Conclusion.     6:  11-18. 


Salutation  and  Introduction  (1:1-10). 

1  :  1-5.  As  is  the  case  of  those  already  discussed,  we 
often  find  in  Paul's  letters  the  gist  of  the  letter  sum- 
marized in  the  introduction ;  naturally  enough,  since 
those  are  the  thoughts  which  for  the  time  are  upper- 
most in  the  writer's  soul.  The  words  are,  of  course,  to 
some  extent  colored  by  the  impulses  which  for  the  mo- 


2G0 

ment  are  stirring  the  heart.  The  introductory  words  are 
therefore,  as  a  rule,  the  key  to  the  apostle's  thoughts 
and  present  state  of  mind. 

This  is  especially  striking  in  the  case  of  the  letter 
now  before  us. 

The  efforts  of  his  Judaistic  enemies  occasioned  the 
writing  of  this  letter.  They  had  done  what  seemed  like 
irreparable  damage  to  the  Churches  of  Galatia. 

The  apostle  had  more  than  once  experienced  that  he 
lived  in  an  evil  world.  His  whole  life  as  a  messenger 
of  Jesus  Christ  had  been  a  life  of  ceaseless  trouble. 
When  he  had  begun  the  work  in  a  new  place,  and  it 
seemed  to  prosper,  the  billows  of  sorrow  and  adversity 
were  not  far  away.  War  and  wounds  had  been  his  lot 
and  life.  And  back  of  nearly  all  his  troubles  stood  the 
fanatical  Jews.  They  hated  the  apostle,  and  did  every- 
thing possible  to  bring  ruin  upon  him.  They  incited 
the  Gentiles  against  him;  they  had  no  difficulty  in  mak- 
ing fanatics  of  their  own  compatriots ;  and  they  forced 
their  way  by  hook  or  crook  into  his  Congregations,  and 
there  did  their  nefarious  work.  In  the  Galatian 
Churches  they  had  found  a  favorable  field  of  operations, 
and  had  been  exceedingly  active ;  hoping  that  they  might, 
by  slandering  the  apostle's  character,  prevent  the  spread 
of  his  Gospel. 

Their  main  argument  was  this:  that  Paul  could  not 
rightfully  be  an  apostle;  for  the  other,  real  apostles  re- 
ceived their  commission  direct  from  Jesus,  while  He  was 
on  earth.  This  was  well  known.  And  everybody  also 
knew  that  Paul  had  not  been  called  in  this  way.  He 
had  merely  been  sent  by  certain  men.  Therefore  his 
"free"  Gospel  could  not  be  true;  the  Churches  must 
listen  to  the  real  apostles,  and  not  give  ear  to  this  teacher 
of  false  doctrines. 

At  the  thought  of  what  the  Judaists  had  done,  the 
apostle  loses  patience ;  and  we  see  his  grief  and  indig- 


261 

nation  expressed  in  the  very  first  words  of  this  letter. 
We  feel  that  they  contain  a  sting. 

Paul  here  declares  that  he  has  received  his  apostolic 
office  of  no  man,  directly  or  indirectly.  He  had  been 
given  his  commission  from  God  the  Father  through  the 
Lord  Jesus.  When  God  had  raised  Jesus  from  the  dead, 
and  Jesus  had  taken  His  seat  at  the  right  hand  of  the 
Father,  He  had  called  Paul  to  be  an  apostle;  and  the 
apostolic  office  of  Paul  was  thus  just  as  regular  as  that 
of  any  other  apostle. 

Paul  has  submitted  this  letter  to  the  Christians  in 
Ephesus,  and  they  have  endorsed  it;  and  thus  it  is  to  be 
regarded  as  coming  from  them  also. 

In  the  superscription  Paul  has  defended  his  claim  to 
apostolic  authority,  and  thus  his  divine  commission  to 
care  for  his  Church.  In  his  salutation  he  now  gives 
them  the  kernel  of  his  preaching :  Grace  and  peace  from 
God  our  Father  and  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ;  who  gave 
Himself  to  die  for  our  sins,  in  order  to  deliver  us  out 
of  this  evil  world,  even  as  the  Father  in  His  wisdom 
had  determined;  to  whom  be  the  glory  for  ever.    Amen. 

The  Galatian  Attitude  of  Uncertainty  Toward  the 
Gospel. 

1 : 6-10.  Here  is  the  joyful  message  of  grace  which 
the  apostle  had  brought  to  the  Galatian  Churches,  and 
they  had  received  it  in  faith.  It  became  their  life  and 
comfort.  Therefore  it  fills  him  with  grief  and  surprise 
to  learn  that  they  are  so  easily  led  to  doubt  and  to  turn 
away  from  God,  who  had  called  them  through  the  mes- 
sage of  grace  in  Christ,  and  to  accept  another  gospel 
than  the  one  which  Paul  had  preached  to  them.  Albeit, 
there  is  only  one  Gospel.  Therefore,  if  any  come  with 
another  doctrine  this  is  really  nothing  but  an  attempt  to 
distort  the  Gospel  of  Christ.  And  this  is  the  greatest 
possible  sin.     If  anyone  preaches  another  gospel,  even 


262 

though  he  be  an  angel  from  heaven,  let  him  be  accursed. 
Now,  does  it  seem  to  the  Galatians  that  Paul  here 
was  writing  like  one  to  whom  the  most  important  thing 
was  to  win  the  favor  of  men?  This  was  one  of  the 
charges  made  against  the  apostle  by  the  Judaists. — Was 
Paul  seeking  the  favor  of  men,  or  of  God  ?  If  it  were 
the  purpose  of  his  Hfe  to  gain  the  favor  of  men,  he 
would  not  be  the  servant  of  Christ.  As  a  messenger 
from  Christ  he  must  say  that  which  Christ  had  told  him 
to  say,  no  matter  whether  men  liked  it  or  not. 

I.    PAUL  HAS  RECEIVED  HIS  APOSTOLIC  OF- 
FICE FROM  GOD  (1:  11-2:21). 

His  Apostolic  Calling  Is  of  God,  Not  of  Man. 

1 :  1 1-24.  The  situation  in  the  Churches  of  Galatia 
makes  it  necessary  for  the  apostle  to  defend  himself  and 
his  preaching  against  the  attacks  of  the  Judaists.  And 
he  does  this  by  the  simple  method  of  telling  the  history 
of  his  Hfe,  in  order  that  every  unprejudiced  person  may 
judge  for  himself  as  to  the  merits  of  the  controversy. 

When  he  is  able  to  speak  with  such  assurance  con- 
cerning his  Gospel, — as  he  does  in  v.  8  and  9, — declar- 
it  to  be  the  only  true  Gospel,  the  reason  is  this,  that  he 
knows  beyond  the  least  shadow  of  doubt  that  this  Gos- 
pel is  not  of  human  invention.  Paul  has  not  invented 
it;  nor  has  he  received  it  of  other  men.  It  has  been 
revealed  to  him  by  lesus  Christ  Himself.  In  this  re- 
spect Paul  stands  on  the  same  footing  with  the  other 
apostles.  Jesus  revealed  Himself  to  him;  the  first  time 
on  the  road  to  Damascus,  when  Jesus  appeared  to  him, 
and  told  him  what  he  was  to  preach  ( 1  Cor.  1 1 :  23 ; 
15:3,4). 

Paul  submits  that  all  who  are  acquainted  with  his 
life  must  understand  that  no  man  could  have  induced 


263 

him  to  believe  in  Christ.  Before  his  conversion  he  was 
the  most  fanatical  of  all  Jewish  fanatics.  The  g^oal  of 
his  life  was  to  exterminate  the  Christian  Churches :  so 
he  became  the  worst  among  the  many  who  persecuted 
the  Christians.  He  saw  clearly  that  the  victory  of 
Christianity  meant  the  death  of  Judaism ;  and  so  there 
must  be  a  fight  to  the  bitter  end.  How"  could,  then,  any- 
body think  that  one  of  these  Christians,  whom  he  so 
cordially  hated  and  despised,  could  induce  him  to  become 
a  Christian?  And  yet — just  as  he  was  carrying  on  his 
persecution  of  the  Christians  with  the  most  senseless 
zeal,  the  change  suddenly  came  on  him.  No  man  could 
have  stopped  him ;  none  but  God  could  do  it.  The  risen 
Savior  had  met  him  on  the  way  near  Damascus.  The 
scales  then  fell  from  his  eyes ;  and  all  at  once  the  funda- 
mental fact  stood  revealed :  Jesus  is  risen,  and  lives. 
This  fact  sheds  new  light  on  the  death  and  the  teaching 
of  Jesus.  Then  came  to  Paul  the  change  of  heart :  and 
he  now  saw  Christ  by  the  bright  light  of  God.  Through 
this  revealing  of  Jesus,  Paul  had  been  called  of  God  to 
the  apostolic  office.  Now  Paul  saw  clearly  that  God  had 
far  other  plans  with  him  than  any  of  which  he  himself 
could  dream.  While  Paul  was  yet  unborn  God  had 
chosen  him  to  go  out  as  a  missionary  with  the  Gospel 
to  the  Gentiles, 

Thus  it  had  come  about  that  Paul  confessed  the  faith 
which  he  had  persecuted,  and  which  to  that  moment  he 
had  sought  utterly  to  destroy.  Such  a  change  is  not  the 
work  of  man ;  it  was  brought  about  by  God  himself. 
God  called  him  to  be  an  apostle,  and  God  gave  him  the 
Gospel. 

From  this  moment  of  his  conversion  three  things 
became  clear  to  him :  He  was  a  new  man ;  he  had  a  new 
purpose  in  life ;  he  had  been  entrusted  with  a  new  mes- 
sage. Everything  from  God.  And  when  Paul  saw  that 
this  was  God's  will  he  determined  in  his  own  mind  that 


264 

he  would  preach  only  that  which  God  told  him  to  preach. 
God  must  Himself  give  him  the  needed  instruction.  So 
Paul  conferred  with  no  man.  He  let  himself  be  baptized 
by  Ananias  in.  Damascus ;  but  he  received  no  instruction 
from  Ananias,  nor  from  any  other  man. 

Had  Paul  wanted  any  endorsement  or  any  guidance 
from  others,  he  would,  as  a  matter  of  course,  immedi- 
ately after  his  conversion  have  gone  to  the  Mother 
Church  in  Jerusalem,  to  meet  the  older  apostles  and  re- 
ceive instructions  from  them.  But  this  was  the  very 
thing  which  he  did  not  do.  No  man  should  meddle  with 
the  history  being  enacted  in  the  soul  of  Paul.  Therefore 
he  went  to  the  desert  of  Arabia;  that  he  might  study 
the  matter  undisturbed,  and  learn  to  see  clearly  and  ex- 
actly what  it  was  the  will  of  God  that  he  should  do. 
Then  he  returned  to  Damascus  and  began  his  labors  as 
an  apostle,  preaching  that  Jesus  was  the  Son  of  God 
(Acts  9:20-22).  So  far  no  man  had  anything  to  do 
with  Paul's  apostleship  and  his  preaching. 

In  order  that  he  might  not  appear  to  be  in  any  way 
dependent  on  the  Church  and  the  apostles  in  Jerusalem, 
he  purposely  kept  away  from  that  city  for  three  whole 
years.  Then  at  last  he  went  to  Jerusalem,  and  stayed 
there  fifteen  days.  The  purpose  of  his  visit  was  not  to 
secure  any  sort  of  endorsement  of  his  office  and  his 
preaching,  but  to  become  personally  acquainted,  es- 
pecially with  the  apostle  Peter.  During  this  visit  he  was 
the  guest  of  Peter.  But  during  these  two  weeks  there 
could  not,  of  course,  be  time  for  any  sort  of  instruction. 
He  became  acquainted  also  with  James,  the  Lord's 
brother.  The  other  apostles  seem  to  have  been  absent 
on  their  travels. 

This  is  the  true  and  the  whole  history  of  this  visit. 
So  Paul  solemnly  declares  before  God.  And  when  the 
Judaists  tell  another  story  they  do  not  tell  the  truth. 

Paul's  stay  in  Jerusalem  was  brought  to  a   sudden 


265  ^ 

close.  His  enemies  conspired  to  kill  him,  and  he  was 
compelled  to  leave  the  city.  He  then  went  to  Syria  and 
Cilicia  and  there  preached  the  Gospel.  But  the  Jewish- 
Christian  Churches  in  Palestine  did  not  know  Paul  per- 
sonally, as  he  was  entirely  independent  of  them.  That 
which  they  knew  of  him  and  his  work  was  only  that 
which  had  been  reported  to  them.  But  these  reports 
caused  their  hearts  to  swell  with  joy.  They  glorified 
God  for  that  the  former  persecutor  of  the  Christians 
now  confessed  the  faith  which  he  had  formerly  wanted 
to  destroy. 

The  Conference  of  Apostles  in  Jerusalem. 

2 :  1-10.  Then  fourteen  years  pass  by.  The  apostle 
says  nothing  about  those  years,  as  they  had  no  bearing 
on  the  present  case.  But  then  was  held  that  conference 
in  Jerusalem  of  which  his  enemies  had  tried  to  make  so 
much  of  a  story.  So  now  he  wants  to  make  a  statement 
of  the  actual  facts.  During  these  fourteen  years  Paul 
had  worked  as  a  missionary  and  founded  a  number  of 
Gentile-Christian  Churches  without  any  aid  whatever 
from  the  Church  or  the  apostles  in  Jerusalem.  He  had 
stood  absolutely  independent  in  his  missionary  work. 
So  it  was  not  for  his  own  sake,  or  for  the  sake  of  his 
work,  that  he  went  up  to  Jerusalem.  Nor  had  any  man 
told  him  to  come.  But  the  Church  in  Antioch  had 
wanted  him  to  do  in  order  to  bring  about  a  settlement 
of  the  controversy  raised  by  the  Judaists  on  account  of 
their  demand  that  the  Gentile-Christians  should  be  cir- 
cumcised. For  his  own  part  Paul  did  not  need  any  de- 
cision in  this  matter  from  the  Church  or  the  apostles  in 
Jerusalem;  for  in  his  mind  there  was  no  doubt.  He 
showed  this  by  taking  with  him  his  co-laborer  Titus, 
who  was  an  uncircumcised  Greek ;  he  was  living  evidence 
that  circumcision  was  not  practiced  in  Paul's  Mission 
Churches.     Paul  did  not  wish  to  go  to  Jerusalem  before 


'%  266 

receiving-  a  plain  sign  from  God ;  for  he  knew  how  his 
opponents  would  misconstrue  his  action.  But  when 
God  revealed  Himself  to  him,  and  said  that  he  was  to 
go,  he  at  once  went.  Barnabas  and  Titus,  who  were 
with  him,  could  testify  to  the  truth  of  his  statement. 

In  the  conference  which  then  was  held  Paul  laid  be- 
fore the  Church,  and  particularly  before  the  apostles 
present  as  being  highest  in  authority,  the  Gospel  which 
he  had  preached  to  the  Gentiles;  and  he  asked  for  a 
positive  statement  from  them  as  to  whether  he  had  or 
had  not  been  running  in  vain.  Had  his  work  been  right 
and  for  the  salvation  of  the  Gentiles  ?  This  question  and 
nothing  else  was  discussed  at  the  conference. 

And  the  victory  of  Paul  was  complete ;  not  even 
Titus  was  urged  to  allow  himself  to  be  circumcised. 

But  the  Judaists,  these  omnipresent  false  brethren, 
were  in  Jerusalem  also;  and  they  did  everything  in  their 
power  to  destroy  the  liberty  of  the  Gentile  Christians 
and  place  the  yoke  on  their  necks.  However,  they  had 
only  their  labor  for  their  pains.  Paul  stood  firm  on  the 
truth  of  the  Gospel,  and  did  not  yield  an  inch.  Any 
compromise  with  the  Judaists  was  out  of  the  question. 
But  for  the  sake  of  the  Church  he  could  make  the  con- 
cession, that  his  Gentile  Christians  were  to  keep  away 
from  certain  things  which  were  especially  offensive  to 
the  Jews;  for  such  a  concession  was  not  a  yielding  up 
of  Christian  liberty,  but  merely  an  act  of  Christian  love. 
The  plain  truth  is,  that  instead  of  being  in  any  way  en- 
dorsed by  the  conference,  the  Judaists  suffered  a  crush- 
ing defeat. 

With  regard  to  the  men  of  greatest  repute  among 
the  apostles,  whom  Paul's  enemies  exalted  in  order  to 
humiliate  him  the  more,  it  makes  no  matter  to  him  how 
great  they  were,  says  Paul;  "God  accepteth  not  man's 
person."  The  important  thing  is,  that  they  had  nothing 
to  say  against  his  work.     Quite  the  reverse;  they  fully 


267 

approved  of  it.  They  saw  that  God  had  called  Paul  to 
preach  the  Gospel  to  the  Gentiles,  even  as  Peter  was  to 
preach  it  to  the  Jews;  and  James,  Peter  and  John,  re- 
garded as  the  foremost  men  among  the  apostles,  ex- 
tended to  Paul  the  right  hand  of  fellowship. 

Paul  Opposes  Peter. 

2:11-21.  Paul  has  never  recognized  these  men  or 
any  others  as  having  authority  over  him.  He  could 
not ;  for  they  had  no  such  authority.  He  was  absolutely 
independent  of  them;  he  had  received  his  office  and  his 
doctrine  from  God.  His  independent  position  was 
brought  out  clearly  when  he  felt  himself  forced  to  op- 
pose and  take  to  task  even  the  apostle  Peter  himself.  It 
happened  in  this  wise : 

Peter — the  rock — the  foremost  of  the  apostles,  canr* 
on  a  visit  to  Antioch.  At  first  he  freely  associated  with 
the  Gentile  Christians,  adopting  for  the  time  being  their 
manner  of  living.  God  had  in  Jaffa  shown  him  ( Acts 
10)  that  the  rules  of  the  Mosaic  law  corceming  clean 
and  unclean  animals  did  not  apply  to  the  Gentiles  who 
became  Christians.  When  Peter  had  spent  some  little 
time  in  Antioch  there  came  to  him  some  messengers 
from  Jerusalem.  They  were  adherents  of  James — the 
righteous,  as  he  was  called — and  belonged  to  the  more 
strict  sect  of  Jews,  and  their  view  of  the  situation  was 
different  from  that  of  Peter.  They  held  that  Peter  had 
gone  too  far  in  yielding  to  the  Gentile  converts ;  and  he 
was  not  strong  enough  to  be  uninfluenced  by  their  repre- 
sentations. He  felt  less  sure  of  his  ground,  and  with- 
drew from  the  Gentile  brethren  and  their  more  liberal 
Pauline  customs.  Then  there  was  great  confusion  in  the 
Church.  People  naturally  looked  up  to  Peter  with  the 
greatest  reverence;  and  they  did  not  now  know  just 
what  to  think.  Even  Barnabas,  Paul's  close  friend  and 
co-laborer,  began  to  waver.     It  goes  without  saying  that 


268 

the  situation  was  critical.  If  this  noxious  weed  were 
not  nipped  in  the  bud,  it  would  grow  up  to  choke  the 
Congregation. 

When  Paul  came  to  the  city  and  saw  the  sad  trouble 
which  the  unmanly  and  hypocritical  conduct  of  Peter 
had  brought  upon  the  Congregations,  he  was  filled  with 
indignation.  So  he  called  a  meeting,  and  there  set  forth 
only  his  complaints  against  Peter.  Paul  pointed  out 
to  Peter  how  unreasonable  he  was  in  trying  to  force  the 
Gentiles  to  conform  to  the  precepts  of  the  Law,  which 
did  not  at  all  apply  to  them. 

It  is  probable  that  Peter  tried  to  defend  his  action 
in  going  over  to  the  more  strictly  Jewish  party  by  urging 
that  he  himself,  being  a  Jew  by  birth,  had  no  right  to 
ignore  the  precepts  of  the  Law,  and  that  these  were 
binding  on  him,  even  if  they  were  not  binding  on  the 
Gentiles;  he  must  keep  to  his  own  people. 

At  the  meeting  this  or  a  similar  statement  by  Peter 
gave  Paul  the  chance  to  show  him,  without  mincing 
matters,  how  indefensible  his  position  of  uncertainty 
was,  and  what  the  result  of  this  wavering  attitude  must 
be  for  Peter  himself  and  for  all  other  Christians.  Here 
was  not  a  mere  difference  of  opinion  concerning  non- 
essentials, but  a  radical  disagreement  touching  the  very 
foundations  of  the  faith.  Peter's  attitude  would  deny 
and  reject  the  grace  of  God  unto  salvation  in  Christ. 
Peter  was  now  tearing  down  that  which  he  himself  had 
built  up;  to  become  righteous  in  the  sight  of  God  he 
was  leaving  the  way  of  faith  and  putting  his  trust  in 
the  works  of  the  Law. 

The  settlement  which  here  took  place  of  the  contro- 
versy between  Paul  and  Peter  is  one  of  the  most  im- 
portant single  events  in  the  history  of  God's  Kingdom. 
Here  there  is  for  the  first  time  presented  a  clear  state- 
ment of  the  wide  distinction  between  the  Old  and  the 
New  Covenant,  between  Judaism  and  Christianity.    Here 


269 

are  brought  to  the  front  those  fundamental  truths  which 
Paul  later  on  outlines  with  such  wonderful  clearness  in 
his  letter  to  the  Romans.  Here  we  have  the  meat  of 
them  in  a  few  strong  words.  However,  the  contem- 
poraries of  the  apostle  were  not  able  fully  to  grasp  the 
mighty  meaning  and  great  depth  of  his  Gospel.  The 
storm  in  Antioch  was  stilled;  but  the  wavering  attitude 
of  Peter  had  its  aftermath,  and  was  the  cause  of  trouble 
long  after  the  death  of  both  Peter  and  Paul.  In  fact, 
it  lay  as  a  cloud  upon  Christendom  for  1,400  years; 
until  Paul's  greatest  disciple,  our  own  Church  Father 
Martin  Luther,  again  placed  the  Pauline  Gospel  in  the 
candlestick  and  let  it  shine  brightly  as  the  light  of  God's 
Church  on  earth. 

This  wavering  between  the  way  of  the  Law  and  the 
way  of  grace  has  recurred  again  and  again.  There 
have  been  many  movements  toward  a  more  strict  bond- 
age under  the  Law.  They  have  appeared  under  new 
forms,  but  have  had  their  roots  in  the  same  old  opposi- 
tion to  the  Gospel  of  free  grace.  And  every  Christian 
has  felt  this  opposition  in  his  own  life.  There  is,  how- 
ever, but  one  Gospel  which  give  peace  to  the  heart ;  the 
Gospel  of  free  grace  according  to  St.  Paul. 

The  great  central  idea  of  Paul  in  the  settlement  of 
this  controversy  with  Peter  is  expressed  in  the  words : 
I  live  in  faith  in  the  Son  of  God,  who  loved  me,  and 
gave  Himself  up  for  me. — If  that  is  clear,  everything 
else  is  clear  also.  This  is  the  deep  undercurrent  in  the 
whole  religious  life  of  Paul,  and  on  it  is  carried  his  view 
of  the  salvation  in  Christ.  This  is  the  innermost  kernel 
of  the  Christian  religion. 

Paul  begins  his  argument  to  Peter  in  this  wise :  Both 
of  us  are  hy  birth  Jews',  and  thus  we  have  from  our 
birth  belonged  to  God's  chosen  people,  to  whom  He  has 
given  His  promises  and  blessing  (Romans  2:  17;  3:2). 
As  true  Jews  we  led  an  upright  life  according  to  the 


270 

Law.  Like  other  men  we  were  sinners ;  but  we  were  not 
"sinners"  in  the  sense  in  which  the  term  is  applied  to  the 
Gentiles.  These  Gentiles  led  a  life  of  idolatry,  godless- 
ness  and  the  most  abominable  vices  (Romans  1 :  18-32). 
This  we  did  not  do;  and  if  any  could  be  saved  by 
works,  it  should  have  been  we.  Yet  ive  are  the  very 
ones  who  have  found  that  we  must  seek  salvation 
through  means  entirely  different  from  this.  Our  eyes 
were  opened,  and  we  saw  that  it  was  impossible  to  be- 
come righteous  before  God  by  keeping  the  Law.  We 
had  tried  it,  but  it  could  not  be  done.  And  it  was  given 
us  to  see  that  the  righteousness  which  we  never  could 
earn  by  keeping  the  Law,  that  righteousness  was  to  be 
had  as  a  free  gift  of  God  through  faith  in  Christ  and 
His  atonement  for  us.  When  this  was  made  clear  to  us 
we  in  faith  laid  hold  on  Christ,  in  order  that  we  might 
on  this  foundation  stand  as  justified  before  God ;  and  in 
this  matter  the  deeds  of  the  Law  were  of  no  account 
whatever.  Any  suggestion  of  their  merit  in  this  place 
would  mean  that  we  are  trying  to  make  ourselves  right- 
eous by  our  own  works.  But  we  can  not  reach  the  goal 
in  this  way,  for  no  man  can  fulfil  the  Law's  demands. 
The  Law  makes  all  men  to  be  transgressors,  and  con- 
demns them.  So  that  way  of  obtaining  righteousness 
was  closed  to  us. 

But  when  we  thus  resigned  every  thought  and  ef- 
fort to  obtain  righteousness  before  God  by  fulfilling  the 
Law,  and  turned  in  faith  to  Christ,  then  we  showed  by 
the  very  act  of  seeking  our  righteousness  in  Him,  that 
we  did  not  have  it  in  ourselves,  but  were  sinners,  as  are 
all  others.  -Thus,  even  though  we  were  not  "sinners" 
like  the  heathen,  we  were  condemned  and  powerless, 
with  no  means  of  helping  ourselves  to  become  righteous 
before  God.  No  other  way  of  salvation  was  open  to  us 
than  that  open  to  the  heathen :  The  faith  which  accepts 
the  grace  of  God  in  Christ. 


271 

But.  do  we  not  by  this  teaching  make  Christ  the  min- 
ister of  sin? 

This  was  the  steady  complaint  of  the  Judaists  against 
Paul.  They  said  that  in  teaching  the  impossibility  of 
coming  into  right  relations  with  God  by  obeying  the 
Law,  he  in  effect  abrogated  the  Law  entirely.  And  when 
Christ,  according  to  Paul's  teaching,  gave  righteousness 
as  a  gift  to  persons  living  in  sin  and  doing  nothing  to 
obtain  it,  this  was  equivalent  to  declaring  people  right- 
eous who  were  not  righteous  in  fact.  Instead  of  taking 
sin  seriously,  and  punishing  it,  and  demanding  of  people 
that  they  live  a  righteous  life  according  to  the  Law, 
Christ,  as  presented  by  Paul,  seemed  to  be  at  the  service 
of  sinners,  and  to  smooth  over  their  sin  with  His  right- 
eousness;  and  thus  the  most  upright  Jew  would  seem 
to  be  no  better  in  the  sight  of  God  than  the  most  wicked 
heathen.  Can  this  be  good  doctrine?  asked  they.  Paul 
made  Christ  out  to  be  the  minister  of  sin,  the  friend  of 
publicans  and  sinners. 

Paul  repudiates  this  idea.  No,  he  says,  but  if  I,  like 
the  Judaists,  "build  up  again  those  things  which  I  de- 
stroyed, I  prove  myself  a  transgressor/'  When  they 
through  Baptism  became  members  of  Christ's  Church, 
they  discarded  their  old  doctrine  concerning  righteous- 
ness by  the  deeds  of  the  Law.  Had  they  been  able  to 
save  themselves  by  their  own  works,  they  would  not  have 
needed  Christ.  By  joining  the  Christian  Church  they 
had  broken  with  the  old  ideas  of  the  Law ;  and  now 
they  are  beginning  to  rebuild  the  broken-down  struqture, 
teaching  that  one  must  obey  the  Law  in  order  to  be- 
come righteous  before  God.  Thus  they  really  admit  that 
they  committed  a  sin  when  they  gave  up  the  attempt  to 
earn  righteousness,  and  accepted  it  as  a  free  gift  of 
God.  It  is  they,  and  not  Paul,  who  are  transgressors 
and  make  Christ  a  minister  of  sin.     The  apostle  could 


272 

never  have  been  guilty  of  such  inconsistency;  first  to 
leave  a  way,  and  then  return  to  it.     Never! 

I  could  not  act  in  that  way,  says  the  apostle.  I  am 
not  a  transgressor  in  that  sense.  It  is  the  Law  itself 
which  has  forced  me  to  go  the  way  which  I  have  gone  ; 
which  forced  me  to  accept  Christ,  that  I  might  in  Him 
find  the  righteousness  which  it  was  beyond  my  own 
power  to  reach.  And  this  was  the  very  purpose  of  the 
Law.  The  Law  put  me  to  death  (Romans  7:  10  sq.), 
showed  me  my  utter  inability  to  keep  the  commandments, 
and  showed  me  my  own  sin  (Romans  3:20).  But  the 
Law  did  not  help  me  to  keep  the  commandments,  nor  did 
it  give  me  forgiveness  of  sins ;  and  it  was  even  more 
impossible  that  the  Law  could  make  me  righteous  be- 
fore God.  It  would  not  give  me  any  of  these  things ; 
for  it  could  not,  and  should  not.  It  zvas  the  purpose  of 
the  Law  to  bring  not  life,  but  death.  ''Through  the  Law 
I  died  unto  the  Law" ;  and  the  Law  has  nothing  to  do 
with  one  who  is  dead;  when  it  has  killed  him  its  work 
with  him  is  done.  But  the  purpose  of  God  in  all  this  is 
that  I  might  live  unto  God. 

Through  Baptism  I  was  crucified  with  Christ,  and 
became  partaker  of  the  righteousness  which  is  of  grace, 
and  which  Jesus  earned  for  me  by  His  death  of  atone- 
ment on  the  cross.  His  death  was  my  death.  But  when 
I  thus  became  partaker  of  the  grace  which  Christ 
earned  by  His  death  on  the  cross,  there  was  also  some- 
thing in  me  which  was  crucified.  That  was  "the  old 
man"  (Romans  6:6;  Gal.  5:24)  with  its  sinful  lusts. 
And  the  result  of  this  crucifixion  is  that  "I"  no  longer 
live,  but  that  Christ  lives  in  me.  To  accept  the  right- 
eousness in  Christ  means  to  break  with  the  old  life  in  the 
flesh.  One  can  not  at  the  same  time  have  the  grace  of 
God  and  live  in  sin.  The  life  of  Christ  was  to  do  the 
will  of  God.  Thus  when  Christ  lives  in  me,  my  life 
becomes  a  life  unto   God.      Still,  the   circumstance  that 


273 

Christ  lives  in  me  does  not  change  the  fact  that  here  on 
earth  I  always  have  the  *'flesh/'  the  weak  and  sinful 
human  nature.  This  is  the  great  change  which  came 
upon  me  when  I  became  a  Christian,  that  I  now  live  in- 
the  faith  which  is  in  the  Son  of  God,  who  loved  me, 
and  gave  Himself  up  for  me.  When  I  believe  in  Jesus 
I  live  unto   God. 

After  this  statement  the  apostle  summarizes  it  :• 
Now,  do  I  make  Christ  a  minister  of  sin?  Do  I  despise- 
the  grace  of  God?  No,  it  is  not  /  who  do  this;  but 
the  Judaists,  who  again  want  to  burden  the  Christians 
with  the  yoke  of  the  Law.  I  will  not  abandon  my  way 
of  grace,  and  of  righteousness  through  faith,  and  fol- 
low the  Judaists.  That  would  be  to  make  void  the  grace 
of  God.  For  if  righteousness  were  to  be  had  by  obe- 
dience under  the  Law,  we  could  help  ourselves,  and 
would  have  no  need  of  Christ.  Then  had  Christ  died 
on  the  cross  for  nought ;  He  had  died  absolutely  to  no^ 
purpose. 

In  this  strong  statement  the  apostle  has  thus  pre- 
sented the  very  fundamentals  of  Christianity.  Our  re- 
lations to  God  can  not  be  built  on  the  loose  sand  of  our 
own  works,  but  must  stand  on  the  foundation  which 
God  has  laid  in  Christ.  And  all  vital  morality  is 
grounded  in  our  communion  with  God  in  Christ.  I  live 
my  life  in  faith  on  the  Son  of  God,  who  died  for  me; 
and  thus  I  live  unto  God.  The  distinction  between  the- 
way  of  the  Law  and  the  way  of  the  Gospel  has  never 
been  put  more  plainly  into  words.  God  had  set  Paul 
the  task  of  lighting  up  this  particular  domain,  where 
there  are  so  many  pitfalls,  and  where  even  Peter  made 
a  false  step. 

Though  Peter  thought  otherwise,  there  is  no  com- 
promise possible  between  the  view  of  Paul  and  that  of 
the  strictly  Jewish  Christians.  Paul's  statement  stands. 
for  all  time  as  a  guidepost  for  the  Christian  Church. 


274 
CHRISTIAN  LIBERTY  (3:  1-5:  12). 

Paul  has  now  confuted  the  slanders  of  the  Judaists, 
and  shown  that  in  his  office  as  an  apostle  of  the  Lord  he 
was  wholly  independent  of  the  other  apostles.  And  then 
he  has  defended  the  truth  of  his  Gospel  as  the  only 
teaching  in  full  hannony  with  God's  gracious  plan  of 
salvation. 

Now,  there  was  in  Paul's  teaching-  especially  one 
point  with  which  his  opponents  found  fault,  and  that  was 
his  doctrine  concerning"  Christian  liberty.  To  the  Juda- 
ists this  doctrine  seemed  a  denial  of  all  religion.  It 
was  blasphemy,  and  it  meant  the  throwing  away  of 
everything  which  God  had  given  to  his  chosen  people 
through  Moses  and  the  prophets ;  it  was  contempt  for 
God,  and  an  insult  to  his  people.  And,  as  Paul  was 
made  to  feel,  the  Jew  is  a  fanatic  in  that  which  touches 
the  national  religion. 

A-ot  by  the  IVorks  of  the  Law,  but  by  the  Message  of 
Faith  the  Galatians  Received  the  Holy  Spirit. 

3 :  1-5.  That  which  is  true  of  the  other  points  con- 
cerning our  relations  with  God,  holds  good  in  regard 
to  the  question  of  religious  liberty  also:  It  can  not  be 
rightly  understood  unless  it  is  seen  in  its  connection  with 
Christ  and  faith.  These  form  the  groundwork  of  the 
apostle's  explanation  of  the  principles  of  Christian  lib- 
erty. To  the  apostle  this  doctrine  is  the  very  apple  of 
his  eye.  It  is  a  necessary  inference  from  the  doctrine 
of  justification  by  faith.  One  must  not  muddle  the  doc- 
trine of  justification  by  dragging  into  it  the  works  of  the 
Law ;  and  so  it  is  also  with  the  question  of  Christian 
liberty.  By  confusing  the  doctrine  of  justification  with 
the  keeping  of  the  Law  the  Judaists  robbed  the  Chris- 
tians of  their  certainty  in  regard  to  their  state  of  grace : 
and  in  like  manner  they  robbed  people  of  their  Christian 


275 

liberty.  These  truths  the  apostle  had  all  the  time  been 
preaching  with  all  the  force  of  his  fervent  soul  and  his 
keen  mind.  Therefore  the  wavering  attitude  of  the 
Galatians  grieved  and  disappointed  him.  His  troubled 
state  of  mind  is  strikingly  revealed  in  the  series  of  terse 
questions  put  to  them.  The  questions  strike  down  among 
them  like  flashes  of  lightning  from  the  lowering  thunder- 
clouds. 

He  addressed  them  as  ''foolish  Galatians/'  He  can 
not  understand  how  people  who  have  heard  what  they 
have  heard,  and  have  had  their  experience,  can  have  let 
themselves  be  so  easily  led  into  the  snares  of  the  Juda- 
ists.  To  be  sure,  his  Judaistic  enemies  are  cunning  de- 
ceivers ;  but  the  Galatians  should  not  have  been  such 
easy  prey,  allowing  themselves  to  be  cheated  of  their 
evangelical  liberty,  and  to  be  led  into  bondage  under 
the  Law.  They  must  have  been  bewitched.  The  Gospel 
which  Paul  had  preached  to  them  had  left  no  room  for 
any  misunderstanding  of  its  meaning.  The  apostle  could 
boldly  declare  that  before  their  eyes  ''Jesus  Christ  was 
openly  set  forth  crucified."  Christ  crucified  was  at  all 
times  the  apostle's  one  great  theme.  It  was  the  picture 
which  his  teaching  had  continually  painted  before  the 
eyes  of  his  hearers.  Earnestly  and  vividly  he  had  de- 
scribed to  them  the  crucified  Savior  as  the  only  way  of 
salvation.  They  must  have  understood  that  there  was 
here  no  room  for  any  salvation  through  their  own  works. 
Nothing  but  the  atonement  of  Christ,  received  through 
faith,  could  lead  them  to  God  in  Heaven. 

Not  only  had  Christ  been  thus  painted  before  their 
eyes  by  the  apostle,  who  preached  to  them  the  plain 
gospel  truths,  but  they  had  been  further  taught  by  their 
own  spiritual  experiences.  Should  not  these  have  kept 
them  free  from  these  dangerous  Judaistic  errors?  They 
had  received  the  Holy  Spirit  as  earnest  of  God's  power 
and    their    salvation ;    and    miracles    had   been    wrousrht 


276 

among  them,  showing  that  here  was  a  power  greater 
than  any  power  of  man.  This  every  one  of  them  knows ; 
and  there  is  not  one  among  them  who  in  answer  to  the 
apostle  will  declare  that  it  was  obedience  under  the  Law 
which  helped  them  to  accept  the  Spirit,  and  which  caused 
the  miracles  to  be  wrought  in  their  midst.  Far  from  it. 
When  the  way  of  faith  was  preached  to  them  as  the 
only  way  of  salvation,  and  they  accepted  this  Gospel  of 
grace,  then  they  received  the  Spirit,  and  miracles  were 
worked  among  them. 

The  apostle  then  fires  one  question  after  the  other 
at  them.  He  asks  if  they  really  have  gone  so  far  in  their 
foolishness,  that  they,  who  had  begun  in  the  Spirit,  now 
wish  to  finish  in  the  flesh.  It  was  by  the  work  of  the 
Spirit  that  they  began  their  life  as  Christians ;  and  they 
did  not  then  build  their  hopes  of  salvation  on  anything 
of  the  flesh,  anything  of  their  own,  any  outward  ful- 
filment of  the  Law.  No,  they  began  in  the  Spirit,  in 
faith,  accepting  the  salvation  in  Christ  as  a  free  gift  of 
God's  grace.  But  now  it  seems  that  they  want  to  build 
and  finish  their  Christian  estate  *'in  the  flesh,"  turning 
aside  to  follow  the  way  of  the  Law  and  its  works,  cir- 
cumcision, and  the  like  fleshly  things.  It  would  be  easy 
to  see  the  inconsistency  of  such  conduct. 

Another  question :  Can  it  be  possible  that  all  their 
experiences  have  been  to  no  purpose?  If  they  end  *'in 
the  flesh,"  these  Christian  experiences  will  have  done 
them  no  good.  Paul  loved  his  erring  brethren  too  much 
to  believe  that  such  is  to  be  the  end ;  that  which  he  and 
they  have  lived  together  can  not  have  been  in  vain. 
When  he  now  has  explained  these  matters  to  them  again, 
and  the  brethren  have  had  time  to  think  it  over,  they 
will,  he  makes  no  doubt,  return  to  the  good  old  paths 
of  God's  gracious  mercy. 


277 

The  Way  of  Faith  is  the  Only  Way  Which  Leads  to 
Salvation,  as  Shown  by  the  Example  of  Abraham. 

3:6-14.  The  "Spirit,"  not  the  "flesh,"  is  the  impor- 
tant thing  in  God's  Kingdom,  as  always  has  been  the 
case.  But  now  the  Judaists  are  trying  to  seduce  the 
Galatians  into  thinking  that  the  "flesh,"  the  externals 
of  religion,  is  the  thing  of  prime  importance;  that  none 
can  be  justified  before  God  except  through  the  deeds 
of  the  Law ;  that  to  become  a  child  of  God,  one  of  the 
children  of  Abraham,  one  must  by  circumcision  be  made 
a  member  of  the  Jewish  people.  The  Judaists  zmsh  to 
make  a  carnal  matter  of  that  zuhich  God  wants  to  be  a 
spiritual  matter.  They  were  all  the  time  boasting  that 
they  were  the  true  children  of  Abraham,  and  that  they 
had  the  Law  and  the  promises ;  the  Gentiles  could  come 
to  God  only  by  becoming  Jews. 

Now  let  us  see  what  God  says  about  this  matter, 
continues  the  apostle ;  see  how  it  came  about  that  Abra- 
ham was  justified.  There  is  no  mistaking  the  words  of 
Scripture:  Abraham  was  justified  in  exactly  the  same 
way  as  were  the  Galatians.  In  Genesis  15:6  it  is  de- 
clared in  plain  words  that  Abraham  believed  God,  and 
it  was  counted  to  him  for  righteousness.  To  be  right- 
eous means,  then,  to  have  been  counted  as  such,  or  that 
God  has  declared  one  to  be  righteous.  And  He  does 
this  in  the  case  of  such  as  believe.  God  did  not  look  to 
Abraham's  deeds,  but  to  his  faith,  when  declaring  him 
to  be  a  righteous  man.  So  it  was  when  the  Galatians 
became  righteous.  They  had  not  tried  to  wipe  out  their 
sins  by  doing  the  deeds  of  the  Law,  but  they  believed 
what  God  told  them  of  grace  in  Christ  Jesus :  and  then 
God  no  longer  counted  or  treated  them  as  sinners,  but 
as  being  righteous. 

So  it  was  not  his  "flesh,"  but  his  faith  which  caused 
Abraham  to  be  counted  as  righteous ;  and  it  follows, 
despite  the  assertion  of  the  Judaists  to  the  contrary,  that 


278 

it  can  be  nothing  of  the  "Uesh"  zuhich  causes  one  to  be 
counted  a  son  of  Abraham.  No,  it  is  faith;  for  right- 
eousness and  sonship  go  together.  # 

And  God,  who  knew,  and  in  his  wisdom  had  fore- 
ordained, that  He  would  grant  the  grace  of  justification 
to  Gentile  "believers  also,  announced  the  good  news  to 
Abraham,  saying:  In  thee  shall  all  peoples  be  blest. 
He  says  not  a  word  of  the  Law,  or  circumcision,  or  any- 
thing "fleshly."  Thus,  according  to  God's  own  word, 
the  faithful  are  the  true  children  of  Abraham,  no  matter 
whether  Je^  or  Gentile;  and  being  his  children,  they 
receive  the  same  blessing  which  he  received.  In  God's 
Kingdom  it  is  not  carnal,  but  spiritual  relationship  which 
counts,  and  this  spiritual  relationship  depends  on  the 
common  faith.  The  blessing,  then,  is  dependent  on  frnth 
and  the  promises;  while  it  is  the  Law  that  condemns. 
The  Word  of  God  is  as  clear  in  regard  to  the  curse  as 
in  regard  to  the  blessing.  For  it  is  written,  in  Deuter- 
onomy 27:26:  "Cursed  is  every  one  who  continueth  not 
in  all  things  that  are  written  in  the  book  of  the  Law,  to 
do  them."  But  who  dares  to  boast  before  God  that  he 
has  kept  all  the  commands  of  the  Law?  The  harvest 
of  his  efforts  reaped  by  one  who  is  under  the  bondage 
of  the  Law  is,  then,  not  a  blessing,  but  a  curse. 

Nor  has  it  ever  been  God's  purpose  that  man  was 
to  obtain  righteousness  by  keeping  the  commandments. 
It  is  not  possible  by  this  means  to  escape  the  curse  and 
the  eternal  death.  God  has  not  willed  that  the  'way  of 
works  should  be  the  way  of  life.  Therefore  He  has  said 
through  His  prophet:    The  righteous  shall  live  by  faith. 

If  our  status  before  God  were  to  be  determined  by 
the  Law,  faith  would  count  for  nothing.  For  the  Law 
does  not  say:  Believe  this.  It  says:  Do  this.  Thus  it 
is  declared  in  plain  words  in  Lev.  18:  5:  He  thdii  doeth 
them  shall  live  in  them. — Thus  the  apostle  refutes  by 
the  Word  of  God  one  Judaistic  doctrine  after  another. 


279 

Now,  which  way  will  the  Galatians  choose?  God's  way. 
or  the  way  of  the  Judaists?  Can  any  thinking  person 
doubt  which  is  the  right  way?  The  way  of  faith  leads 
to  righteousness  and  blessing,  while  the  way  of  the  Law 
leads  to  condemnation. 

Through  the  Law  we  can  merely  come  in  under  the 
curse;  the  curse  resting  on  all  the  people  of  Israel,  and 
keeping  them  in  prison,  as  it  were,  because  they  were 
under  the  Law,  and  still  did  not  do  that  which  the  Law 
commanded.  The  Jews  should  therefore  be  the  very 
first  to  rejoice  and  to  accept  in  faith  the  great  message 
of  liberty:  "Christ  redeemed  us  from  the  curse  of  the 
Law,  having  become  a  curse  for  us."  And  this  is  con- 
firmed beyond  all  doubt  by  the  declaration  in  Deut. 
21:23:  ''Cursed  is  every  one  that  hangeth  on  a  tree.'' 
The  cross  of  Christ  is  our  banner  of  liberty.  And  now, 
asks  the  apostle,  will  the  Galatians  place  upon  them- 
selves the  yoke  of  the  Jewish  Law,  which  God  never 
has  imposed  on  the  Gentiles,  and  from  which  Christ  has 
redeemed  the  Jews? 

The  purpose  of  God  in  letting  Jesus  die  the  death  of 
a  malefactor  on  the  cross  was  to  make  the  Gentiles  par- 
takers in  the  blessings  promised  to  Abraham.  When 
Christ  died  on  the  cross  the  old  dispensation  of  the  Law 
was  closed,  and  the  way  of  salvation  to  all  men  through 
faith  w^as  opened,  and  the  promises  to  Abraham  could 
now  be  fulfilled.  Israel  was  then  redeemed  from  the 
bondage  of  the  Law;  they  were  no  longer  subject  to  the 
Law.  Thereby  the  Gentiles,  also,  were  redeemed  from 
the  Law.  If  Christ  had  not  died,  and  thus  opened  a  new 
way  of  salvation,  the  Gentiles  as  well  as  the  Jews  would 
have  been  compelled  to  bear  the  yoke  of  the  Law\  But 
now  all  this  had  been  done  away  with  by  the  death  of 
Jesus  on  the  cross.  There  is  but  one  zuay  for  all,  both 
Jew  and  Gentile ;  and  through  faith  we  can  receive  the 
Holy  Spirit,  which  God  has  promised  us. 


280 

The  Law  Cannot  Disannul  the  Promises. 

3 :  15-18.  Here  the  language  of  the  apostle  becomes 
more  calm.  Brethren,  he  writes,  let  us  take  an  illustra- 
tion from  our  everyday  experience.  It  is  a  matter  of 
common  knowledge  that  when  a  man  has  drawn  up  a 
legal  instrument,  as  a  last  will  and  testament,  and  it 
has  been  witnessed  in  the  regular  way,  and  is  made  a 
matter  of  record,  no  man  may  come  and  make  this 
document  void  or  add  anything  to  it,  but  must  let  it 
stand  as  recorded. 

Now,  God  gave  the  promises  to  Abraham  and  his 
descendants  (Gen.  13:15;  17:8).  But  when  God  at 
that  time  said  "seed"  and  not  ''seeds,"  he  had  in  mind 
one,  not  many;  and  this  one  is  Christ.  In  Him  and  of 
Him  are  all  the  promises ;  and  there  is  no  promise  ex- 
cept through  Him. 

God  made  this  definite  promise  to  Abraham ;  and 
then,  after  the  lapse  of  430  years,  the  Law  was  given. 
But  it  is  not  possible  that  this  Law  could  disannul  the 
covenant  made  430  years  before  the  giving  of  the  Law ; 
for  God  does  not  have  one  mind  today  and  another  to- 
morrow. The  Law  could  not  make  void  the  provisions 
in  regard  to  the  inheritance.  If  we  received  this  as  a 
result  of  obeying  the  Law,  then  the  provision  that  we 
are  to  receive  the  inheritance  by  faith  in  God's  promise 
concerning  Christ,  would  be  made  of  none  effect.  Our 
right  to  inherit  the  promise  can  not  be  conditioned  on 
two  provisions,  one  of  which  directly  contradicts  the 
other.  We  receive  it  either  by  obeying  the  Law,  or  by 
believing  the  promise ;  there  is  no  third  alternative.  But 
God  granted  it  to  Abraham  by  promise.  Thus,  he  who 
believes  God's  promise  regarding  Christ,  is  heir  to  all 
that  which  God  has  promised. 


281 

The  Office  of  the  Law  Was  Merely  Temporary. 

3 :  19-29.  What  good  purpose,  then,  could  the  Law 
serve?  The  Judaists  were  all  the  time  complaining  that 
Paul  wanted  to  repeal  the  Law.  To  them  the  Law  was 
the  way  by  which  God  had  appointed  us  to  reach  right- 
eousness; and  as  to  Paul,  who  taught  the  directly  op- 
posite, they  held  him  to  be  an  anarchist  in  God's  King- 
dom. This  charge  was  made  against  Paul  in  all  his 
Congregations ;  and  so  he  was  compelled  to  be  all  the 
time  defending  his  position,  and  pointing  out  what  it  is 
that  the  Word  of  God  teaches  of  the  relation  between 
the  Law  and  the  promises. 

The  Law  has  nothing  to  do  with  the  question  of  our 
receiving  the  inheritance.  What,  then,  is  the  office  of  the 
Law?  It  has  a  merely  temporary  purpose,  says  the 
apostle.  It  was  added  as  a  means  of  teaching  that  sin 
is  disobedience  to  God  (Romans  3:  19;  4:  15),  and  how 
sinners  stand  convicted  before  God  as  deserving  of 
punishment — until  Christ  came,  concerning  whom  the 
promise  had  been  made.  This  is  in  agreement  with 
the  manner  in  which  the  Law  was  givcp.  i>  ii;  .!:*;  'aw 
and  the  promise  are  given  of  God.  He  gave  the  pro- 
mise to  Abraham  in  person,  without  any  mediator.  But 
in  the  giving  of  the  Law  there  were  two  parties  to  the 
covenant:  God,  who  gave  the  Law,  and  Israel,  who 
were  to  keep  it.  And  where  an  agreement  is  to  be  made 
between  two  parties,  one  or  more  mediators,  or  agents, 
are  needed  to  conduct  the  negotiations.  Thus  it  was 
when  God  gave  the  Law.  Angels  brought  it;  and  a 
mediator,  Moses,  received  it.  But  in  the  case  of  a 
promise — as  when  God  gave  the  promise  to  Abraham 
unconditionally — there  is  no  need  of  a  mediator. 

But  since  the  Law,  in  its  purpose  and  the  manner  of 
its  giving,  is  so  widely  different  from  the  promise,  in 
that  the  Law,  instead  of  securing  to  us  the  inheritance, 


282 

makes  sinners  of  us,  and  instead  of  coming  directly  from 
God  alone,  was  given  through  angels  and  a  mediator, 
does  it  not  follow,  then,  that  the  Law  is  against  the 
promises  of  God?  By  no  means.  For  God  never  in- 
tended that  we  were  to  obtain  life  and  righteousness 
by  keeping  the  commandments  of  the  Law.  No,  Scrip- 
ture clearly  says  that  God  has  "shut  up  all  unto  dis- 
obedience," that  all  mankind  are  helpless  in  the  power 
of  sin,  and  deserving  of  punishment  (Romans  3:9-20; 
11 :  32)  ;  in  order  that  God  may  according  to  His  prom- 
ise give  life  and  righteousness  to  all  who  in  faith  ac- 
cept His  grace  in  Christ  Jesus. 

Thus  the  Law  was  to  serve  a  merely  temporary  pur- 
pose. Before  faith  came  we — particularly  the  Jews — 
were  to  be  "kept  in  ward  under  the  Law,"  that  we  might 
not  escape,  but  all  the  time  feel  the  heavy  yoke  upon 
us.  The  Law  was  a  wall  which  God  built  up  between 
Israel  and  the  heathen  world,  in  order  to  keep  Israel 
from  sinking  down  into  idolatry,  and  from  losing  the 
revelation  which  God  had  given  them. 

In  the  meantime  the  Law  was  to  stand  over  us  as 
a  schoolmaster,  with  its  commands  and  restrictions,  that 
we  might  see  our  misery  and  look  to  God  for  help;  in 
order  that  we  might  be  ready  to  receive  Christ  when 
He  came,  and  to  find  our  righteousness  in  Him  through 
faith. 

Now,  however,  the  situation  is  entirely  changed.  For 
after  faith  came  we  Christians  are  no  longer  under  the 
schoolmaster ;  but  all  who  believe  in  Christ  are  God's 
freeborn  children.  This  change  came  when  they  were 
united  with  Christ  through  Baptism,  Then  all  national 
and  social  barriers  were  broken  down,  for  all  men  are 
one  in  Christ  Jesus.  The  Law  made  a  separation  be- 
tween Jew  and  Gentile ;  Christ  and  His  salvation  unite 
them.  And  they  who  by  faith  and  Baptism  belong  to 
Christ  are  the  seed  of  Abraham  and  inherit  the  blessing 


283 

according  to  God's  promises.  The  circumstance  that 
the  Jews  are  the  seed  of  Abraham  after  the  flesh  does 
not  give  them  any  advantage  over  the  Gentiles ;  and  it  is 
not  true,  as  the  Judaists  asserted,  that  the  Gentiles  must 
through  cricumcision  become  members  of  the  Jewish 
people  and  put  themselves  under  the  Law  in  order  to 
become  partakers  of  the  inheritance. 

The  Position  of  Israel  in  the  Old  Covenant  IV as  That 
of  a  Child  not  yet  Come  of  Age. 

4:  1-7.  The  apostle  has  drawn  a  sharp  line  of  dis- 
tinction between  the  time  "before  faith  came"  and  now 
''that  faith  is  come."  And  he  has  explained  in  respect  to 
the  Jewish  Christians,  that  not  until  Christ  came,  and 
with  Him  faith  and  the  glad  tidings  of  salvation,  had 
they  been  made  free  from  bondage  and  come  into  their 
full  heritage  as  the  children  of  God.  He  also  explained 
that  at  the  same  time  the  Gentiles  who  accepted  Christ 
in  faith  were  thereby  placed  in  the  same  happy  position 
as  the  Christian  Jews  without  having  been  under  the 
yoke  of  the  Law. 

This  placing  of  the  Gentiles  on  an  equality  with  the 
Jews  was  most  offensive  to  the  Judaists;  they  never 
could  be  reconciled  to  it.  The  Jews  were  God's  children 
long  before  the  coming  of  Christ;  this  was  a  preroga- 
tive of  which  none  could  rob  them.  God  himself  had 
said  it  ( Exodus  4 :  22 ;  Hosea  11:  1 ) . 

Of  course,  Paul  did  not  deny  this.  Certainly,  the  Jeu:s 
had  the  adoption  of  sonship  (Romans  9:4)  ;  they  were 
God's  chosen  people.  But  their  position  under  the  Old 
Covenant  was  that  of  children  not  yet  come  of  age. 
Israel  was  as  the  son  of  a  man  who  has  left  a  large 
fortune.  But  as  long  as  the  heir  is  a  child,  he  is  under 
guardians  and  stewards  until  the  day  fixed  in  the  father's 
will.     Not  until  then  does  the  heir  come  into  full  pos- 


284 

session  of  the  property.  Before  that  time  he  has,  with 
respect  to  control  of  the  inheritance,  been  no  better  off 
than  the  bondservant.  This  was  the  situation  till  the 
coming  of  Christ.  We  were  "in  bondage  under  the  rudi- 
ments of  the  world." 

But  in  the  fullness  of  time,  when  the  heir  was  to 
reach  his  majority,  and  when  Jew  and  Gentile,  each  in 
his  own  way,  had  been  made  ready  to  receive  the  ful- 
filment of  the  promise ;  God  sent  His  Son  from  Heaven, 
where  he  had  been  with  God  from  everlasting,  let  him 
be  horn  of  a  zvoman,  being  made  in  the  likeness  of  men, 
that  He  might  take  the  form  of  a  servant  (Phil.  2:7). 
And  God  let  Him  be  born  as  one  of  the  Jewish  people, 
who  were  imder  the  Law,  and  thus  Christ  Himself  came 
under  the  Lctfw  also. 

God's  purpose  in  this  was  a  double  one.  Christ  must 
be  a  man,  and  be  under  the  Law,  first  of  all  in  order  that 
the  Law  might  make  its  demands  on  Him,  and  that  He 
might  by  His  death  on  the  cross  set  free  the  children 
of  Israel,  who  were  under  the  yoke  of  the  Law  (3:  13; 
Deut.  21-23).  And  then  God  wanted  to  open  the  way 
to  sonship  for  the  Gentiles  without  first  placing  upon 
them  the  yoke  of  the  Law. 

In  order  that  we  all,  whether  Jew  or  Gentile,  may  he 
sure  x}f  our  adoption  as  God's  children,  he  has  sent  forth 
the  Spirit  of  His  Son  into  our  hearts ;  and  it  is  this 
Spirit  who  makes  us  to  cry:  Abba,  Father.  He  warms 
our  hearts  with  the  blessed  assurance  that  we  are  in  truth 
God's  children;  and  may  call  God  by  the  name  of 
Father;  and  that  we  may  with  confidence  and  without 
fear  approach  God  as  our  heavenly  Father,  in  the  same 
way  as  Jesus  did  (Mark  14:  36).  The  Father  knows  the 
child's  voice,  no  matter  what  the  language;  Jews  and 
Greeks  are  alike  His  dear  children. 

There  can  be  no  better  proof  that  the  time  of  bondage 
is  past.     You  no  longer  are  a  bondservant,  nor  a  minor 


285 

child,  but  a  son  who  has  come  of  age.  The  inheritance 
is  now  yours;  you  have  received  it  of  God,  your  Father 
in  Heaven.  It  is  this  blessed  assurance  and  confession 
which  the  Spirit  wishes  to  create  in  the  hearts  of  God's 
children.  They  are  not  to  be  in  the  state  of  uncertainty, 
as  not  having  reached  their  majority,  nor  in  the  state  of 
anxious  servitude ;  their  estate  is  that  of  the  free  son  full 
grown.  And  yet  the  Judaists  want  to  put  the  yoke  upon 
such  a  son,  and  again  make  of  him  a  mere  bondsen^ant ! 

The  Gentiles  Also  Were  In  Bondage. 

4:8-11.  It  was  not  the  Jews  only  who  were  in 
bondage,  and  were  set  free  through  Christ;  the  same  is 
true  of  the  Gentiles.  These,  also,  have  ceased  to  be 
bondmen,  and  have  become  children.  They  were  in  even 
worse  bondage  than  were  the  Jews.  The  Jews  were  in 
bondage,  to  be  sure,  but  under  the  true  and  living  God ; 
while  the  Gentiles  were  slaves  under  the  idols,  who  did 
not  even  exist.  The  Gentiles  created  their  own  gods 
and  then  served  them.  This  was  the  situation  of  the 
Galatians  before  they  became  Christians. 

That  they  had  formerly  put  up  with  this  slavery  was 
not  so  strange;  for  they  did  not  then  know  better.  But 
when  they  were  converted  they  came  to  know  the  true 
God',  or,  as  Paul  would  prefer  to  put  it,  to  be  knozvn  of 
God.  For  the  important  thing  in  our  Christianity  is  not 
that  which  we  may  have  done,  but  that  which  God  has 
done  for  and  with  us.  To  be  known  of  God  means  to  be 
known  by  Him  as  one  of  His  own,  to  be  embraced  in 
His  grace  and  love.  And  to  think  that  anybody  could 
want  to  throw  away  this  glorious  liberty  and  the  estate 
of  sonship,  in  order  to  follow  Judaism  and  be  made  a 
slave !  Would  it  not  be  the  very  height  of  foolishness  ? 
Formerly  they  were  in  slavery  under  the  idols ;  and  now 
they  seem  in  a   fair  way  of  making  themselves   slaves 


286 

tinder  the  yoke  of  the  Law.  Now  they  desire  to  he  in 
bondage  over  again  to  the  weak  and  beggarly  rudiments, 
to  the  former  teaching;  which  can  neither  give  them 
righteousness  before  God,  nor  anything  else  of  that 
which  they  so  sorely  need;  because  it  is  "weak  through 
the  flesh"  (Romans  8:3).  It  only  demands;  weak  and 
poor  as  it  is,  it  has  nothing  to  give. 

The  fear  of  the  apostle  that  the  Galatians  might 
change  their  liberty  for  the  old  bondage  is  not  without 
cause.  They  had  in  fact  already  taken  the  first  fatal 
step  which  will,  unless  they  are  stopped  betimes,  reduce 
them  to  bondage  under  the  Law.  They  had  begun  to 
observe  the  rules  of  the  Law  in  regard  to  Sabbaths  and 
new  moons  and  seasans  and  years ;  which  rules  were  of 
force  as  regards  the  Jews,  when  these  were  under  the 
Law  as  children  not  yet  of  age.  And  now  that  even 
the  Jews  have  been  set  free,  the  Galatians  seem  dis- 
posed to  place  the  yoke  on  their  own  necks.  Yet  the 
foolish  people  do  not  see  the  danger.  But  if  they  con- 
tinue in  their  course  Paul's  work  among  them  will  have 
been  done  in  vain ;  they  will  be  led  astray  from  the  good 
way  of  salvation. 

Admonition  to  Remain  Loyal  to  the  Apostle  and  to  the 

Gospel. 

4 :  12-20.  After  this  severe  reprimand  and  warning 
the  apostle  here  changes  his  tone,  using  words  of  en- 
dearment which  show  how  tenderly  he  loved  these  Con- 
gregations. He  is  like  a  mother  anxiously  correcting 
an  erring  child.  He  uses  all  his  arts  of  persuasion.  He 
begs  them  as  a  brother:  Become  ye  as  I  am;  live  in 
faith  as  God's  free  children;  for  I  am  as  you,  I  have 
left  Judaism  in  order  to  be  saved  in  the  same  manner 
as  the  Gentiles.  The  Galatians  must  not  think  that  he 
feels  himself  personally  aggrieved.  They  have  not  done 
him  any  wrong.     He  reminds  them  of  the  love  and  en- 


287      ' 

thusiasm  with  which  they  met  him  when  he  preached 
the  Gospel  to  them  for  the  first  time ;  in  spite  of  the 
fact  that  he  was  sick,  so  that  his  appearance  and  man- 
ner could  not  have  inspired  confidence.  But  now  all 
this  is  changed,  and  his  heart  is  full  of  grief  as  he  asks : 
Am  I  become  your  enemy  by  telling  you  the  truth?  Is 
their  love  turned  to  hatred,  because  he  has  warned  them 
of  the  danger  of  losing  their  soul?  Do  they  prefer  the 
false  flattery  of  the  Judaists  to  the  truthful  admonitions 
of  the  apostle?  The  only  purpose  of  the  Judaists  is  to 
estrange  the  Galatians  from  their  apostle,  and  induce 
them  to  join  and  support  the  party  of  the  Judaists.  They 
are  actuated  by  selfish  motives,  not  by  interest  in  the 
welfare  of  the  Galatians.  Therefore  the  apostle  warns 
the  Galatians  again  these  false  friends,  and  urges  them 
to  be  as  zealous  in  the  good  cause  when  he  is  absent 
as  when  he  is  present.  Then  he  closes  his  winning  ap- 
peal with  the  loving  declaration:  My  little  children,  of 
whom  I  am  again  in  travail  until  Christ  be  formed  in 
you ;  I  could  wish  to  be  present  with  you  now,  and  to 
change  my  tone ;  for  I  am  perplexed  about  you. 

Ishmael  and  Isaac  as  Prototypes  of  the  Bondman  and 
the  Free  Christian. 

4:21-31.  After  these  admonitions  the  apostle  re- 
turns to  his  explanation  of  the  difference  between  the 
Law  and  the  promise. — Now,  you  Galatians,who  so  much 
desire  to  be  under  the  Law,  why  do  you  not  read  the 
books  of  the  Law?  Do  read  the  history  of  Abraham  ;  it 
is  most  instructive. 

Abraham  had  two  sons,  Ishmael  and  Isaac.  They 
were  sons  of  the  same  father;  in  that  respect  there  was 
no  difference  between  them.  But  in  respect  to  the  con- 
dition of  their  mothers  there  was  a  wide  diiference, 
Ishmael's    mother    was    the    handmaid    Hagar;    while 


288 

Isaac's  mother  was  the  free  woinan  Sara,  Abraham's 
rightful  and  lawful  wife.  This  of  itself  would  imply 
that  Ishmael  is  born  to  bondage^  and  Isaac  to  the  free- 
dom of  sonship. 

Furthermore,  Ishmael  was  begotten  and  born  in  the 
natural  way,  ''after  the  flesh" ;  while  Isaac  was  bom 
"through  promise."  The  birth  of  Isaac  was  one  of 
Cod's  miracles,  as  Sara  was  at  the  time  far  beyond  the 
natural  age  of  child-bearing. 

But  there  is  a  deeper  meaning  in  all  this.  The  two 
women  represent  the  two  covenants  in  God's  kingdom. 
Hagar  is  Mount  Sinai,  the  Old  Covenant  of  the  Law. 
As  Hagar  bore  Ishmael  into  the  estate  of  bondage,  so 
the  covenant  of  Sinai  means  spiritual  bondage  under 
the  Law,  which  all  the  time  says :  Thou  shalt,  thou  shalt 
not.  It  brings  nor  peace  nor  happiness,  but  hopeless 
labor;  and  we  are  never  done  with  it. 

Mount  Sinai  is  in  Arabia,  not  in  the  land  of  Cancuin. 
The  children  of  Ishmael  are  to  dwell  outside  of  the  land 
which  God  gave  to  Abraham  and  his  children.  The 
children  of  Ishmael  and  the  covenant  of  the  Law  did 
not  really  belong  in  the  Promised  Land.  They  corre- 
spond to  ''the  lerusalem  that  now  is" ;  and  Paul  as  well 
as  the  Galatians  know  very  well  that  this  Jerusalem  is 
in  bondage  with  her  children,  the  Je-ws.  These  had  re- 
jected the  Gospel  of  salvation  and  liberty  in  Chirst;  and 
in  their  unbelief  they  clung  to  the  Law  as  their  means 
of  salvation.  Thus  they  were  in  spiritual  bondage.  They 
are  born  "after  the  flesh"  as  the  children  of  Abraham, 
but  spiritually  they  are  Ishmaehtes.  Their  true  home  is 
not  in  Canaan,  but  at  Sinai  in  Arabia.  They  are  slaves, 
and  their  children  are  born  into  slavery. 

The  freewoman,  on  the  other  hand,  is  not  representa- 
tive of  the  Jewish  Jerusalem,  the  capital  of  old  Israel ; 
but  of  the  Jerusalem  that  is  above,  is  free,  and  is  our 
mother.     This  new,  heavenly  Jerusalem  is  the  Congre- 


289 

gation  of  the  saved  in  Heaven  (Hebr.  12:  22)  ;  but  as 
we  see  from  the  words  of  the  apostle  in  the  passage  be- 
fore us,  it  embraces  also  the  Church  of  God  here  on 
earth.  There  is  no  sharp  line  of  cleavage.  Christ  is  the 
Head  of  the  Church ;  and  in  Him  the  Church  in  Heaven 
and  the  Church  on  earth  are  one.  From  Him  the  vital 
force  goes  out  to  the  members  of  His  body,  the  Church. 
This  Jerusalem  is  free  from  the  curse  and  bondage  of 
the  Law,  owns  the  grace  of  Christ,  and  its  citizens  are 
free  children  of  God.  The  Church  of  Christ  is  a  Free 
Church ;  and  it  is  our  mother.  Here  we  have  this  beau- 
tiful statement  that  the  Church  is  our  mother;  the  most 
beautiful  thing  which  can  be  said  of  it.  This  is  a  divine 
arrangement :  God's  children  are  born  of  God's  Church ; 
and  the  children  are  to  revere  the  Church  as  their 
mother. 

It  is  with  this  mother  as  with  Sara.  The  children 
born  of  the  Church  are  children  born  of  the  promise, 
as  was  Isaac.  On  the  Church  is  fulfilled  the  promise 
made  through  Isaiah  (54:  1).  It  is  this  Jerusalem  which 
is  to  become  the  mother  of  many  children,  embracing  all 
Christians.  These  are  born  by  the  power  of  God  through 
a  miracle  of  grace,  as  was  Isaac.  The  earthly  Jerusalem 
has  many  children  after  the  flesh ;  but  the  heavenly 
Jerusalem  shall  have  many  more,  born  through  the 
quickening  power  of  God  in  the  Gospel. 

These  two  women  and  their  sons  being  representa- 
tive of  the  Jews  and  of  the  Christian  Church,  we  may 
expect  to  find  other  incidents  in  their  life  illustrative  of 
later  conditions  also.  As  he  that  was  born  after  the  flesh 
persecuted  him  that  was  bom  after  the  Spirit,  so  also  it 
is  now,  says  Paul.  Jews  and  Judaists  persecute  the 
Christians.  It  can  not  be  otherwise;  for  the  son  of  the 
handmaid  hates  the  son  of  the  free  woman. 

Jews  and  Judaists  shall,  therefore,  share  the  fate  of 
Ishmael  and  his  children.     They  have  no  place  in  the 

10 


290 

Christian  Church;  they  are  to  be  driven  out.  The  Ga- 
latians  are  to  drive  out  the  teachers  of  false  doctrines; 
exclude  them  from  the  Church,  in  which  they  have  no 
business.  The  heritage  belongs  to  the  sons  of  the  free 
woman,  not  to  the  sons  of  the  handmaid.  Ishmael  was 
not  heir  to  the  estate  of  Abraham. 

This  the  Galatians  must  not  forget.  They  belong  to 
the  Christian  brotherhood ;  they  are  children  of  the 
free  woman,  and  must  not  associate  themselves  with 
the  children  of  the  slave.  If  they  do  this  they  lose 
the  free  and  happy  mind  of  the  child,  and  lower  them- 
selves to  the  estate  of  slaves,  and  fall  into  the  slaves' 
way  of  thinking;  and  they  lose  the  adoption  of  children 
and  the  right  of  inheritance. 

Stand  Past  in  Your  Freedom. 

5 :  1-12.  "For  freedom  did  Christ  set  us  free."  It 
sounds  Hke  a  trumpet  blast.  It  is  the  war  cry,  which 
puts  mettle  into  the  soldier,  and  mans  him  with  courage 
to  stand  to  his  guns  in  the  face  of  the  enemy.  For 
freedom  did  Christ  set  us  free.  He  bought  our  free- 
dom for  us  by  His  death  on  the  cross.  Thereby  He 
redeemed  us  from  the  curse  of  the  Law,  and  purchased 
freedom  for  all  who  are  His  own.  It  is  dangerous  to 
waver  at  this  point,  and  to  listen  to  those  who  would 
try  to  bring  Christians  again  under  a  yoke  of  bondage. 
And  the  apostle  plants  himself  squarely  before  the 
Galatians,  and  shouts  to  them  through  this  letter,  and 
asks  them  to  mark  his  words:  *7/  ye  receive  circum- 
cision, Christ  will  profit  you  nothing."  And  he  urges 
on  them  one  thought,  concerning  which  the  Judaists 
preferred  not  to  say  anything ;  that  he  who  allows  him- 
self to  he  circumcised  has  thereby  obligated  himself 
to  keep  the  whole  Law.  And  the  Law  pronounces  a 
curse   upon   every   one   who    does   not   continue    in    all 


291    . 

things  that  are  written  in  the  book  of  the  Law,  to  do 
them  (3:  10). 

To  be  circumcised  is  therefore  to  separate  one's 
self  from  Christ.  He  who  seeks  righteousness  through 
the  Law  is  fallen  from  grace.  Christ  and  grace  are 
inseparable. 

The  Christian  Galatians  had  begun  well.  Who  is 
it,  then,  that  has  caused  them  to  waver?  Surely,  it  is 
not  of  God.  But  a  little  leaven  can  leaven  the  whole 
lump ;  a  single  error  may  destroy  the  Congregation, 
corrupt  their  whole  conception  of  Christianity,  and 
spoil  the  Christian  Hfe.  When  the  Galatians  have  taken 
time  to  think,  they  surely  will  agree  with  the  apostle; 
but  the  judgment  of  God  will  certainly  fall  upon  those 
who  have  brought  this  confusion  into  the  Church.  If 
Paul  would  yield  in  this  one  matter,  concerning  circum- 
cision, the  persecutions  would  soon  be  ended.  His  op- 
ponents made  no  special  complaint  of  his  preaching 
about  the  death  of  Christ  on  the  cross.  This  preach- 
ing would  not  then  be  ofifensive  to  them;  for  the  Law 
would  then  have  been  given  its  old  place  as  a  means 
of  salvation. 

Through  the  Spirit  the  Christian  life  is  a  life  in 
faith,  hope,  and  love.  It  is  a  beautiful  life,  a  happy 
lot.  But  in  Christ  neither  circumcision  nor  uncircum- 
cision  avail  anything.  Circumcision  helps  nobody  into 
Heaven,  nor  does  the  want  of  it  keep  anybody  out  of 
Heaven.  These  things  are  not  essential.  But  in  the 
Spirit  we  await  that  which  righteousness  gives  us  the 
hope  of  obtaining  in  the  life  eternal.  But  while  we  are 
here  on  earth,  faith  works  through  love,  in  that  we 
render  service  to  our  fellow-men. 

The  apostle  is  filled  with  indignation  when  he  thinks 
of  the  persistent  efforts  of  the  Judaists  to  induce  the 
Gentile  Christians  to  be  circumcised ;  so  that  he  fairly 
shouts  at  them  :    I  would  that  they  might  even  go  be- 


292 

yond  circumcision;  or  that  they  would  mutilate  them- 
selves so  badly  that  they  were  beyond  being  repaired. 

III.    THE  USE  AND  THE  ABUSE  OF  LIBERTY 
(5:13-6:10). 

As  is  so  often  the  case  with  the  letters  of  Paul,  the 
latter  part  of  this  letter  to  the  Galatians  is  in  the  form 
of  a  direct  admonition. 

The  Limitations  of  Christian  Liberty. 

5 :  14-34.  This  Christian  liberty  does  not  mean 
giving  a  free  rein  to  the  flesh  and  its  lusts.  No,  Chris- 
tian faith  is  to  show  itself  in  loving  service  to  others ; 
for  such  love  is  fulfilment  of  the  whole  Law.  Love 
does  away  with  bickerings  and  dissensions,  which 
would  destroy  the  individual  members  and  the  Congre- 
gation. The  flesh  and  the  Spirit  are  all  the  time  striv- 
ing for  ascendency  over  the  will  of  the  Christian.  The 
believer  has  no  choice ;  his  orders  are :  Walk  by  the 
Spirit,  and  ye  shall  not  fulfil  the  lust  of  the  flesh. 
There  is  no  difficulty  in  distinguishing  between  the 
works  of  the  flesh  and  the  fruits  of  the  Spirit.  The 
flesh  urges  one  to  do  that  which  is  evil  and  destroys ; 
the  Spirit,  on  the  other  hand,  brings  forth  good  and 
blessed  fruits.  Against  these  the  Law  can  make  no 
complaint.  They  that  are  of  Christ  Jesus  are  at  war 
with  the  flesh.  Their  liberty  is  something  entirely  dif- 
ferent from  the  liberty  of  the  flesh;  they  have  cruci- 
fied the  flesh  with  its  passions  and  lusts.  This  they 
did  in  their  baptism  (Romans  6:2-8). 

Thus  is  refuted  the  Judaistic  slander  that  Paul 
taught  a  spiritual  liberty  which  really  meant  liberty  to 
commit  sin. 


293 

Away  with  the  Spirit  of  Partisanship. 

5  :  25-6 :  10.  They  who  live  by  the  Spirit  must  show 
this  in  a  spiritual  Ufe ;  so  that  they  do  not  become 
vainglorious,  or  show  that  uncharitable  conduct  which 
is  the  cause  of  so  much  trouble  in  the  Churches.  But 
if  one  does  something  wrong,  the  others  must  help 
him  in  a  spirit  of  gentleness;  each  one  looking  to  him- 
self, lest  he  also  fall  in  the  hour  of  temptation.  They 
must  be  charitable  toward  all,  and  do  good  to  all,  but 
especially  to  their  brethren  in  the  faith ;  and  they 
should  see  to  it  that  their  teachers  do  not  suffer  want. 
Let  all  bear  in  mind  at  all  times,  that  God  is  not 
mocked;  for  what  a  man  sows,  that  he  shall  reap.  He 
that  soweth  unto  his  own  flesh  shall  of  the  flesh  reap 
corruption;  but  he  that  soweth  unto  the  Spirit  shall 
of  the  Spirit  reap  eternal  life. 


Conclusion  (6:10-18). 

6:11-18.  Paul  did  not,  as  a  rule,  write  his  letters 
with  his  own  hand,  but  dictated  them  to  one  of  his 
assistants,  as  we  see  in  Romans  16 :  22.  So  he  dictated 
the  present  letter  also.  Then  with  his  own  hand  he 
subscribed  his  name  and  wrote  these  closing  remarks. 
Once  more  he  calls  the  Judaistic  heretics  to  account  and 
asks  the  Galatians  to  make  their  choice  between  him 
and  these  false  teachers.  The  Judaists  live  only  to  re- 
reive  praise  and  escape  persecution.  They  care  little 
about  the  Law,  if  they  can  only  secure  a  large  personal 
following  in  the  Church.  They  are  sure  of  having  on 
their  side  those  Church  members  who  have  been  per- 
suaded to  let  themselves  be  circumcised.  To  me  the 
world  and  the  approval  of  the  world  mean  nothing,  says 
the  apostle;  I  have  died  to  it.  My  glory  is  in  the  cross 
of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.     Circumcision  and  uncircum- 


294 

cision  have  nothing  to  do  with  one's  relation  to  God. 
The  great  and  serious  question  is  whether  or  not  one  has 
been  bom  again. 

It  is  not  worth  while,  says  Paul,  for  any  one  to 
trouble  him  with  more  questions  in  regard  to  these 
matters.  What  he  has  written  must  suffice.  He  is  a 
soldier  of  Christ,  and  bears  the  marks  of  it  branded  on 
his  body.     The  letter  closes  with  a  benediction. 

This  letter  is  written  from  Ephesus ;  and  it  seems 
from  Chap.  1  : 6,  that  Paul  must  have  been  with  them 
only  a  short  time  before  writing  the  letter.  It  was, 
therefore,  probably  written  in  the  year  56. 

It  seems  that  the  letter  accompUshed  the  apostle's 
purpose.  The  Galatians  turned  away  from  their  false 
teachers  and  again  gave  their  allegiance  to  their  apostle. 
The  Galatians  took  an  active  part  in  the  collection  by 
Paul,  2  or  3  years  later,  of  money  for  the  poor  in 
Jerusalem.  And  we  see  from  2  Tim.  4:10,  that  the 
friendship  between  Paul  and  the  Galatians  remained 
unbroken. 

This  letter  is,  to  the  Christian  Congregation  and  to 
the  individual  believer,  the  great  charter  of  liberty,  a 
supporting  pillar  of  the  Church  and  of  the  Christian 
doctrine.  In  the  providence  of  God  it  has  been  the 
special  duty  of  the  Lutheran  Church  to  guard  against 
the  tearing  down  of  this  support.  God  grant  that  we 
may  never  waver,  as  did  the  Galatians,  but  that  we  may 
stand   fast   with    the    Lord's   apostle. 


The  Letter  to  the  Ephesians 

This  letter  is  not  addressed  to  the  Church  in  the  city 
of  Ephesus.  In  the  other  letters  of  Paul  there  are  al- 
lusions to  local  conditions  in  the  particular  Church  to 
which  he  is  writing;  but  there  are  none  such  in  this 
letter  to  the  Ephesians.  The  writer  seems  to  have  no 
personal  acquaintance  with  those  to  whom  he  writes 
(see  1:15);  and  the  greetings  in  the  first  verse  of  the 
letter  is  put  into  very  few  words.  Chapter  4:21,  also, 
and  some  other  circumstances  indicate  that  this  is  a 
circular  letter  to  the  Churches  in  the  western  districts 
of  Asia  Minor  —  Churches  founded  by  missionaries 
from  Ephesus.  Thus  Paul's  Church  at  Ephesus  was  in 
a  way  the  mother  of  the  others ;  and  this  gives  Paul 
the  right  to  ofifer  them  advice  and  admonition. 

The  letter  now  before  us  is  in  many  things  different 
from  those  already  dealt  with.  There  we  have  seen 
the  apostle  in  the  strength  of  his  manhood  fighting 
against  the  Judaists,  clearing  away  the  difficulties  in 
the  new  Congregations,  and  defending  the  truth  of  his 
preaching.  Here  it  is  different.  Here  we  have  the 
apostle  writing  from  prison  and  in  the  evening  of  his 
life,  to  the  Christian  brethren,  strengthening  them  and 
warning  them  against  the  new  danger  of  Gnosticism, 
as  it  is  called,  which  would  change  the  Gospel  into  a 
sort  of  Greek  system  of  philosophy.  To  the  Gnostics, 
simple  faith  was  not  enough ;  they  wanted  some  kind 
of  philosophic  interpretation.  As  against  this  the 
apostle    impresses    on    his    readers    that    they    need    a 


296 

deeper  Christian  conception  of  the  Christian  faith  and 
life;  and  that  they  must  not  lose  themselves  in  philo- 
sophic speculation  which  would  rob  them  of  faith,  and 
corrupt  their  life.  As  a  protection  against  these  dangers 
they  need  a  more  thorough  understanding  of  the  deep 
foundation  of  their  Christian  estate  in  the  grace  of 
God,  and  of  the  Christian  Church  as  a  unity,  with  Jesus 
Christ  as  its  head. 

The  theme  of  the  letter  to  the  Romans  is  the  evan- 
gelical faith ;  the  letter  to  the  Galatians  discusses  Chris- 
tian liberty ;  and  this  letter  to  the  Ephesians  treats  of 
God's  Church  here  on  earth. 

In  regard  to  Ephesus,  Paul's  work  and  conditions  in 
general  at  that  place,  read  Part  I  of  the  present  volume, 
pages  104-107,  112-114,  147-149. 

the;  plan  of  thk  letter. 

Introduction  and  salutation.     1 :  1-2. 
I.    The  glory  of  redemption  and  the  Christian  estate.    1 :  2-3  :  21. 
II.    Admonitions  to  lead  a  Christian  life.     4-6:20. 
Conclusion  and  benediction.    6:21-24. 


Introduction  and  Salutation  (1:1-2). 

This  is  here  very  short;  and  yet  we  find  in  these 
opening  words  a  suggestion  as  to  the  main  purpose  of 
the  letter.  The  apostle  wants  his  readers  to  bear  in 
mind  always,  that  they  now  are  something  entirely  dif- 
ferent from  what  they  were.  They  were  buried  in  the 
spiritual  darkness  of  heathenism,  and  lived  in  the  lusts 
and  vices  of  the  flesh.  Now  they  are  saints;  through 
their  union  with  Christ  and  through  the  grace  of  the 
Spirit  they  now  belong  to  God,  and  live  in  His  holy 
Church.  Now  they  believe  in  Christ;  and  thus  God  is 
their  Father,  and  Jesus  Christ  their  Lord.  Therefore 
God's    grace    and    peace    rest    upon    them.      Thus    the 


297 

apostle  gently  smoothes  the  way  to  a  consideration  of 
the  subject  which  he  especially  wants  to  discuss  in  this 
letter. 

I.  THE  GLORY  OF  REDEMPTION  AND  THE 
CHRISTIAN  ESTATE  (1  :  3-3  :  21). 

In  Favor  with  God. 

1  : 3-14.  In  spite  of  persecution  and  suffering,  in 
spite  of  anxieties  and  crushed  hopes,  in  spite  of  un- 
certainty with  regard  to  the  future ;  the  imprisoned 
apostle  here  sings  joyous  praises  to  God  for  His  in- 
finite mercy.  The  heart  of  Paul  is  full  to  overflowing. 
The  rules  of  prosody  and  logic  are  swept  away  bv  the 
flood.  His  heart  simply  must  have  air;  he  gives  vent 
to  his  feelings,  packing  all  the  thoughts  possible  into 
few  words.  It  is  the  depth  of  the  riches  and  wisdom 
and  knowledge  of  God  which  wells  up  in  his  soul  and 
sweeps  him  ofT  his  feet,  as  it  were.  ''Blessed  be  llie 
God  and  Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ"  .  .  .  "unto 
the  praise  of  his  glory" ;  thus  begins  and  ends  this 
short,  but  so  infinitely  rich  and  deep  section  of  the 
letter.  God  our  heavenly  Father  has  through  the  Holy 
Spirit  and  through  Jesus  Christ  His  Son  overwhelmed 
us  Christians  with  numberless  blessings,  so  that  we 
really  are  in  Heaven  already.  God  had  done  this,  be- 
cause in  His  eternal  love  He  has  chosen  us  in  Christ, 
before  the  foundation  of  the  world,  to  be  His  children. 
Thus  God's  children  have  from  everlasting  been  in  His 
heart.  God  knew  them  for  His  own,  elected  them,  and 
made  His  plans  to  save  them.  —  all  in  Him,  Christ, 
who  is  the  perfect  expression  of  God's  eternal  love. 
And  God  chose  us  as  His  own,  that  we  might  stand 
before  Him  as  holy  and  without  blemish  in  Christ. 

This    was,    then,    tlie    decree    of    God's    eternal    love 


298 

concerning  us :  We  were  to  receive  the  adoption  as 
sons  of  God  through  Jesus  Christ.  In  resolving  to  do 
this  for  us  God  was  moved  by  nothing  whatever  ex- 
cepting His  own  free  will,  which  is  the  same  thing  as 
His  love.  The  children  of  God  shout  with  joy,  because 
the  glory  of  God  is  shown  in  all  its  wealth  and  splendor 
through  the  grace  with  which  He  enriched  us  in  Christ, 
His  beloved  Son.  For  Christ  gave  His  life  in  obedient 
service  for  us.  His  blood  was  the  price  paid  to  set  us 
free  and  make  it  possible  for  us  to  receive  the  remission 
of  our  sins.  If  we  in  faith  lay  hold  on  Christ,  all  these 
treasures  are  ours.  This  is  altogether  of  God's  grace ; 
for  when  God  measures  out  salvation  to  us,  he  gives 
us  according  to  the  riches  of  His  gface.  Thus  only 
can  we  receive  a  sufficient  measure.  His  mercy  is  great 
beyond  compare;  and  he  gives  us  the  open  eye  of  wis- 
dom to  look  into  the  mystery  of  His  gracious  decree 
and  plan,  and  the  open  ear  to  hear  and  understand  that 
which  He  speaks  to  us.  And  in  making  known  to  us 
what  He  of  His  own  good  pleasure  has  done  for  our 
salvation,  God  makes  it  possible  for  us  to  lead  a  life 
which  is  pleasing  to  Him.  He  had  decided  on  two 
things.  In  the  first  place  He  would  in  the  fulness  of 
time  establish  a  new  dispensation.  Until  God  made 
this  known  through  the  Gospel  it  had  been  hid  in  Him  ; 
none  other  knew  of  it,  but  it  was  then  revealed  to  all. 
In  the  second  place,  God  purposed  that  He  would  then 
sum  up  all  things  in  Heaven  and  earth,  and  make  them 
one  in  Christ.  Then  should  be  restored  the  great  har- 
mony of  creation,  which  sin  had  disturbed ;  and  Heaven 
and  earth  should  resound  with  the  praises  of  God's 
glory.  Thus  the  w^iole  structure  of  salvation  is  built 
on  Christ,  and  our  share  as  Christians  in  the  Kingdom 
of  God  with  all  its  treasures  is  dependent  on  Christ. 
He  that  believes  in  Christ  receives  the  heritage.  Thus 
it  has  been  foreordained   from  eternity  in  the  counsel 


299 

of  the  divine  will :  to  the  end  that  we  should  be  to  the 
praise  of  His  glory ;  whether  we  be  of  the  Jews,  who 
were  awaiting  the  fulfilment  of  God's  promise  of  a 
Messiah:  or  we  were  Gentiles  who  had  heard  the  good 
news  of  salvation,  and  had  accepted  it  in  faith.  Being 
united  with  Christ  through  faith  in  Him,  the  Gentile 
Christians  also  have  received  the  Holy  Spirit ;  who  has 
sealed  the  word  in  their  hearts,  and  thus  made  them 
sure  of  their  being  God's  own  children,  and  who  is 
likewise  an  earnest  that  they  shall  surely  receive  all  that 
which  God  has  promised.  The  redemption  of  God's 
people  is  at  hand.  The  joyful  songs  of  praise  shall  thus 
sometime  ascend  to  the  throne  of  God's  glory  from  the 
hosts  of  the  saved,  from  Heaven  and  earth;  a  joy 
greater  than  all  other  joys,  a  joy  without  end. 

Interceding  zvith  God  for  the  Readers,  that  They  May 
Come  to  Understand  the  Glory  of  the  Christian  Estate. 

1 :  15-23.  The  heart  of  the  apostle  has  been  glad- 
ened,  he  says,  by  his  ''having  heard  of  the  faith  in  the 
Lord  Jesus  which  is  among  you,  and  the  love  toward 
all  the  saints."  For  these  things  prove  that  there  is 
among  them  a  strong  and  healthy  Christian  life.  There- 
fore the  apostle  brings  them  before  the  throne  of  God 
with  thanksgiving;  praying  that  God  may  for  Christ's 
sake  give  them  His  Holy  Spirit,  to  the  end  that  they 
may  be  preserved  through  the  dangerous  times  await- 
ing them.  False  prophets  are  beginning  to  make 
themselves  heard ;  and  if  the  Christians  are  to  remain 
in  faith  and  love,  the  Spirit  must  give  them  wisdom, 
that  with  their  hearts  they  may  see  and  understand 
God's  revelation  concerning  Himself;  that  they  may 
understand  the  hope  to  which  they  are  called,  and  the 
rich  inheritance  laid  by  for  them;  the  exceeding  great- 
ness   of    God's   power,    and   that    He    will   use    for   the 


300 

benefit  of  us  who  believe.  The  power  of  God  used 
in  furthering  our  salvation  is  the  strength  of  His 
might  which  he  wrought  in  Christ,  when  He  raised 
Him  from  the  dead,  and  made  Him  to  sit  above  all 
rule  as  Lord  over  the  hosts  of  Heaven,  and  over  all 
things  in  this  world  and  the  world  to  come.  And  Him 
'who  sits  at  the  right  hand  as  Lord  of  all  things  in 
Heaven  and  earth,  Him  God  has  made  the  head  of  the 
Church,  and  made  the  Church  to  be  His  body.  The 
two  can  not  be  separated ;  Christ  lives  in  and  governs 
His  Church.  Thus  the  Church  has  a  share  in  Christ's 
dignity  and  power.  Through  Him  the  Church  is  ruler 
over  all  things  in  Heaven  and  earth.  If  the  Church 
should  be  separated  from  its  head,  it  would  die :  and  if 
Christ  is  separated  from  His  Church,  he  can  not  do 
His  appointed  work  on  earth.  For  that  which  He  wants 
to  have  done  he  wants  to  have  done  through  His  body, 
the  Church,  and  through  its  members.  The  great  dig- 
nity of  the  Christians  is  that  they  are  members  of 
Christ's  body. 

IVhat  the  Pozver  of  God  Can  Do. 

2 :  1-10.  This  mighty  power  of  God  you  have,  de- 
clares Paul,  experienced  on  yourselves.  Once  you  were 
spiritually  dead  through  your  trespasses  and  sins.  You 
lived  as  did  the  other  children  of  the  world ;  obeyed 
the  suggestions  of  the  devil,  the  prince  of  the  air  round 
about  us ;  and  led  the  same  ungodly  and  immoral  life 
as  do  the  heathen  unbelievers.  And  it  was  no  better 
with  us  Jews.  Like  you  we  led  a  life  of  sin,  and  were  by 
nature  children  of  wrath.  But  God,  who  is  rich  in 
love  and  mercy,  took  pity  on  us,  and  raised  us  from 
the  dead,  and  gave  us  the  life  in  Christ,  so  that  now, 
by  reason  of  our  union  with  Christ,  we  live  in  Heaven  ; 
for  there  is  the  home  of  Him  who  is  our  head.  And 
God  has  done  this  for  us,  in  order  that  in  the  ages  to 


301 

conje  He  may  show  the  exceeding  riches  of  His  grace 
in  kindness  toward  ns  in  Christ  Jesus.  God's  children 
shall  receive  all  the  wealth  of  mercies  to  be  found  in 
the  heart  of  God :  and  His  heart  is  so  rich  that  it  needs 
all  eternity  in  which  to  expend  its  riches  upon  us. 
O  the  depth  of  the  riches  both  of  the  wisdom  and  the 
knowledge  of  God !  Who  hath  first  given  to  Him,  that 
it  should  be  recompensed  unto  Him  again?  To  God 
be  the  glory  for  ever  and  ever. 

By  grace  have  you  been  saved,  by  accepting  the 
gift  of  salvation  from  God  through  faith;  not  as  a  re- 
ward for  anything  done.  There  is  no  room  for  boast- 
ing; for  it  was  not  through  our  own  good  works  that 
we  became  Christians;  it  is  altogether  the  work  of 
God.  He  made  new  creatures  of  us  when  we  received 
the  life  in  Christ  Jesus.  Then  for  the  first  time  we 
were  made  able  to  do  truly  good  works,  which  God 
afore  prepared  that  we  should  walk  in  them.  We  need 
be  in  no  uncertainty  on  this  point.  In  Chap.  4—6  of 
this  letter  we  have  a  picture  of  what  the  Christian  life 
should  be. 

This  beautiful  description  is  a  song  of  praise  to  tlie 
honor  of  God's  mercy.  We  see  how  God  in  Christ  leads 
a  lost  sinner  from  death  to  life,  from  wickedness  and 
misery  to  the  bliss  of  Heaven.  The  apostle  can  not  find 
words  strong  enough  to  picture  man's  lost  condition  in 
all  its  misery,  nor  to  show  us  clearly  the  measureless 
love  of  God  and  the  glory  of  His  salvation.  So  the 
apostle  piles  up  words  and  strings  them  together  and 
builds  of  them  a  mighty  temple  to  the  honor  of  God. 
\\'e  feel  how  his  whole  being  is  shaken  by  the  deepest 
emotions  and  by  a  great  joy  which  is  not  of  earth.  He 
has  more  clearly  than  any  other  man  seen  God's  glory 
in  the  countenance  of  Christ ;  and  thus  he  can  speak 
of  it  as  can  no  other  man. 


302 

Through  Christ's  Work  of  Redemption  Jew  and  Gentile 
Have  Become  One  People. 

2:11-22.  In  the  preceding  verses  the  apostle  has 
reminded  the  Christians  in  and  around  Ephesus  of  the 
great  change  which  has  taken  place  in  their  inner  life. 
They  were  translated  from  death  to  life,  from  being 
lost  to  being  saved.  Now  he  calls  their  attention  to 
the  outward  changes  also.  The  old  things  have  passed 
away ;  all  is  become  new.  They  must  not  forget  the 
difference  between  that  which  was  and  that  which  i>. 
By  bearing  this  change  in  mind  they  will  be  better  able 
to  resist  the  false  teaching  which  would  have  them  be- 
lieve that  they  have  not  experienced  the  great  conver- 
sion. But  this  is  the  very  change  which  they  have  ex- 
perienced, says  the  apostle. 

They  were  Gentiles,  and  they  can  not  have  forgotten 
the  hatred  and  enmity  between  them  and  the  Jews ; 
especially  hitter  on  the  part  of  the  Jeivs,  who  regarded 
the  Gentiles  with  disgust  as  something  unclean.  The 
Jews  expressed  their  disgust  and  contempt  in  the  word 
"Uncircumcision,"  which  they  applied  to  the  Gentiles ; 
while  they  spoke  with  pride  of  their  own  ''Circum- 
cision." They  bore  the  mark  in  their  body  showing 
that  they  were  of  God's  people.  However,  the  saddest 
thing  in  regard  to  the  condition  of  the  former  Gentiles 
was  not  that  they  were  hated  and  dispised  by  the  Jews, 
but  that  they  then  lived  zvithout  Christ,  and  had  no 
part  in  the  Kingdom  of  God  with  its  promises.  They 
were  without  God  and  nnthout  hope  in  the  world;  with 
no  comfort  in  life,  no  light  in  the  darkness  of  death. 
Truly  a  sad  and  hopeless  existence. 

And  then,  think  how  different  from  this  their  life 
now  is.  Now  they  live  in  cofnmunion  with  Christ,  and 
have  the  whole  grace  of  God  in  Him ;  so  that  they, 
who  were  strangers  and  far  away  from  God,  now  are 


303 

His  own  dear  children,  through  the  blood  of  Christ,  by 
His  atoning  sacrifice  (Eph.  1:7;  Rom.  3  :  25  ;  5  :  9).  For 
Christ  is  our  peace.  The  peace  is  in  Him;  and  all  who 
have  Christ  have  peace.  x\ll,  whether  Jew  or  Gentile, 
who  bv  faith  are  united  with  Christ  are  in  the  comnion- 
wealth  of  the  Prince  of  Peace,  as  promised  by  the  pro- 
phets (Micah  5:4;  Isaiah  9:6).  There  is  peace  with 
God,  and  therefore  peace  between  men.  When  Christ 
died  He  broke  down  the  wall  of  partition,  the  enmity, 
which  separated  Jew  from  Gentile. 

But  if  there  were  to  be  true  peace  "the  Law  of  com- 
mandments contained  in  ordinances"  must  be  abol- 
ished ;  for  the  Law  is  the  foundation  on  which  the  wall 
of  partition  is  built.  It  stood  between  Jew  and  Gentile ; 
and  while  this  Law  was  of  force  in  God's  Kingdom, 
Jew  and  Gentile  never  could  become  one.  The  wall 
must  be  broken  down ;  and  this  was  accomplished  by 
Christ  when  He  became  a  man  like  unto  us  (Gal.  4: 
4-5)  and  was  nailed  to  the  cross  and  was  made  a  curse 
for  us  (Rom.  8:2;  Gal.  3:  15).  Then  all  enmity,  every 
wall  of  partition,  between  God  and  man,  between  Jew 
and  Gentile,  vv^as  sunk  in  the  bottomless  sea  of  mercy. 
Thus  was  peace  established  between  the  two  former 
enemies;  and  in  Christ  there  was  created  a  new  gener- 
ation of  men,  and  a  nezv  God's  people.  The  Lord's  pro- 
mise through  the  prophet  Ezekiel  (37 :  22-27)  was  ful- 
filled. 

By  His  death  on  the  cross  Christ  brought  about  the 
great  reconciliation  between  God  on  the  one  side  and 
Jews  and  Gentiles  on  the  other.  In  dying  he  destroyed 
the  enmity.  It  is  dead,  and  must  not  be  recalled  to 
life.  And  as  peace  came  through  Him,  so  it  also  is  He 
who  through  His  messengers  announces  the  happy 
news  of  peace  to  all  men;  even  as  long  ago  foretold 
1)y  the  prophet  of  the  Lord  (Isaiah  57:19).  For  He 
has  ODcned  to  all,  whether  T"?w  or  Gentile,  the  door  to 


304 

the  Father's  throne  of  grace  ;  and  He  gives  to  all  the 
one  and  the  same  Holy  Spirit,  the  Spirit  of  adoption. 
the   Spirit  of  prayer. 

The  blessed  result,  then,  of  that  which  Christ  has 
done  for  them  (v.  13-18),  is  that  they,  who  were 
heathen  and  therefore  strangers  and  aliens,  now  no 
longer  are  in  this  condition,  but  are  members  of  God's 
holy  people  and  Church.  They  do  not  only  belong  to  — 
they  are  God's  house  and  Church;  for  in  becoming 
Christians  they  were  placed  as  living  stones  on  the 
foundation  laid  by  the  teaching  of  the  prophets  and 
apostles.  But  the  chief  Stone  of  the  Corner^  on  which 
the  w^hole  building  rests,  and  without  which  it  crumbles 
to  earth,  is  Christ  Jesus  Himself.  Through  their  vital 
union  with  Him  all  parts  of  this  great  temple  are 
formed  into  one  harmonious  whole;  and  there  is  built 
up  a  mighty  and  holy  temple  of  the  Lord,  consisting 
of  all  who  are  moved  by  the  same  Holy  Spirit.  And 
among  these  are  the  members  of  the  Christian  Churches 
in  western  Asia,  to  whom  Paul  is  here  writing. 

Paul  Has  Preached  the  Mystery  of  the  Gospel  to   the 
Gentiles. 

3  :  1-13.  This  wonderful  message  concerning  salva- 
tion and  peace  in  Christ,  and  concerning  the  Church 
as  the  holy  temple  of  God,  has  been  preached  to  tliese 
Congregations  also,  and  they  have  been  incorporated 
into  the  Holy  Cathohc  Church  on  earth.  As  the 
readers  know,  God  has  appointed  Paul  a  minister  of 
the  message  of  salvation  to  the  Gentiles  ;  and  it  is  for 
this  his  work  in  the  service  of  the  Gospel  that  he  now 
is  a  prisoner.  God  has  revealed  to  him  the  eternal 
decree  concerning  salvation  in  Christ,  and  the  adoption 
of  the  Gentiles  into  the  Church  ;  and  when  they  now 
read   this   letter   they   will   understand   that  the   apostle 


305 

has  some  insight  into  the  mystery  of  Christ,  which  was 
not  formerly  made  as  plain  as  it  now  is  revealed  to  the 
holy  apostles  and  prophets  of  God  by  the  Spirit  poured 
out  upon  them.  To  be  sure,  God  had  during  the  time 
of  the  old  dispensation  said  that  the  Gentiles  were  some 
time  to  come  into  the  Kingdom  ;  but  not  until  now, 
in  the  new  dispensation,  had  it  been  made  clear  just 
how  the  Gentiles  were  to  come.  This  it  was  which 
God  had  made  it  the  special  duty  of  Paul  to  preach 
to  the  Gentiles.  Paul,  who  had  persecuted  the  Church 
of  God,  him  God  had  chosen  to  preach  to  the  Gentiles 
the  unsearchable  riches  of  Christ  and  the  heretofore 
unknown  dispensation  of  grace;  namely,  that  God,  the 
Almighty  Creator  of  all  things,  would  through  His 
Church  make  known  His  manifold  wisdom  according 
to  the  eternal  purpose  which  He  purposed  and  now  has 
fulfilled  in  Christ.  This  message  of  salvation  in  Christ 
gives  us  boldness  in  our  prayers  to  Him,  and  makes 
our  faith  sure;  and  the  wonderful  wisdom  of  God,  as 
made  known  through  the  Church,  causes  principalities 
and  powers  in  the  heavenly  places  to  be  filled  with  joy.. 
So  the  Christians  to  whom  this  letter  is  sent  are  urged 
not  to  lose  heart  when  they  see  the  apostle's  many 
tribulations.  They  are  to  know  that  he  suffers  all  for 
their  sake.  His  tribulations  are  their  glory ;  somethings 
which  should  not  cause  them  to  faint,  but  to  rejoice. 

Intercession  for  the  Churches. 

3:  14—21.  Having  been  chosen  to  be  the  apostle  of 
the  Gentiles,  Paul  makes  intercession  for  these  Churches 
whenever  he  bows  his  knees  to  the  Father,  asking  that 
God  may  make  them  to  understand  the  unsearchable 
riches  of  His  love,  and  that  His  Spirit  may  make  them 
to  be  strong  Christian  characters.  Where  the  Spirit 
creates    a    healthy    Christian    life,    there    Christ    dwells 


306 

through  faith  in  the  hearts  of  the  beUevers,  and  there 
they  are  rooted  and  grounded  in  love.  Such  close 
communion  with  the  Lord  in  faith  and  love  will  in 
them,  as  in  all  the  saints,  have  as  its  precious  fruit  a 
deeper  insight  into  the  love  of  Christ  which  passes  all 
knowledge.  And  they  will  be  filled  more  and  more 
with  all  the  fulness  of  God,  and  the  fulness  of  His  love 
and  mercy,  until  God  at  last  becomes  all  in  all  (1  Cor. 
15:28).  This  is  the  Vxonderul  hope  and  high  calling 
of  the  individual  Christians  and  of  the  Christian 
Churches. 

As  is  always  the  case  with  Paul  when  his  thoughts 
dwell  on  God's  infinite  grace  and  love,  his  words  swell 
into  a  joyful  song  of  praise.  In  no  other  way  can  he 
relieve  the  tension  of  his  heart.  Now  unto  Him  that 
is  able  to  do  exceeding  abundantly  above  all  that  we 
ask  or  think,  according  to  the  power  that  worketh  in 
us,  unto  Him  be  the  glory  in  the  Church  and  in  Christ 
Jesus  unto  all  generations  for  ever  and  ever.     Amen. 

H.     ADMONITIONS   TO    LEAD   A   CHRISTIAN 
LIFE  (4-6). 

Admonition  to  Preserve  Peace  and  Unity  in  the  Chwrch. 

4 :  1-16.  The  apostle  has  in  the  foregoing  chapters 
described  the  glory  of  the  Christian  estate  and  the 
Church ;  from  which  he  naturally  goes  on  to  admonish 
the  Christians  to  conduct  themselves  as  is  seemily  in 
those  who  have  been  called  of  God  to  be  His  children 
and  a  light  to  the  world ;  not  in  pride  and  wilfulness, 
but  in  humility  and  love.  This  should  especially  ap- 
pear in  their  life  as  Church  members ;  so  that  the  unity 
which  the  Spirit  has  created  in  the  Congregation  may 
be  preserved,  and  the  peace  which  they  received  in 
Christ  may  be  the  strong  tie  binding  them  together  as 


307 

brothers  and  sisters  in  the  Lord.  The  Christian  Con- 
gregation is  one  body,  and  has  one  Spirit.  One  faith, 
one  hope,  one  Baptism,  make  all  the  members  one  in 
the  one  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  Through  Him  all  are  be- 
come the  beloved  children  of  the  one  Father.  This 
Father  is  over  all,  and  thus  is  able  to  keep  and  protect 
them;  all  owe  it  to  His  mercy  that  they  are  His  chil- 
dren ;  and  He  dwells  with  all  His  grace  in  the  hearts 
of  His  children. 

This  unity  among  members  of  the  Church  does  not 
mean  that  all  are  exactly  alike  in  all  things.  The 
Christian  Congregation  is  a  living  body,  a  body  with 
many  members.  And  each  member  is  framed  by  the 
Creator  to  do  its-  appointed  work ;  and  thus  each  in  its. 
own  way  is  a  servant  of  the  body  as  a  whole.  So  it 
is  with  each  of  us  Christians.  Each  has  his  special  gift 
which  Christ  has  meted  out  to  him.  It  was  to  pur- 
chase these  gifts  and  distribute  them  to  the  several 
members  of  His  body,  the  Church,  that  the  Son  of  God 
came  down  to  earth  and  won  the  great  victory  over 
our  enemies,  sin,  death,  and  the  devil  —  and  established 
his  Church ;  after  which  He  ascended  to  Heaven, 
whence  He  now  governs  the  Church  and  distributes 
His  gifts  among  its  members.  The  apostle  puts  these 
thoughts  into  words  taken  from  the  Old  Testament. 
In  the  68th  Psalm  David  sings  his  joy  for  that  God 
has  cared  for  His  own  people,  is  come  down  to  the 
earth,  and  has  scattered  the  enemies  of  His  people ; 
and  one  of  the  fruits  of  this  was  to  be  the  conversion 
of  the  Gentiles.  And  then.  His  work  of  salvation  com- 
pleted, the  Lord  returns  to  His  heaven  on  high.  But 
that  which  God  then  did  for  His  people  Israel,  Christ 
has  now  done  in  a  higher  sense  for  God's  people  in 
the  New  Covenant,  the  members  of  the  Christian 
Church.  So  he  has  power  to  equip  His  servants  with 
the    spiritual   gifts   necessary   for   the   edification   of  the 


308 

Church ;  in  order  that  all  who  are  in  the  Church  may 
be  one  in  the  faith,  and  may  reach  a  deeper  under- 
standing- of  the  Son  of  God  and  His  work.  In  this 
way  the  individual  Christian  and  the  Cong-regation  as 
a  w^hole  may  reach  the  stature  of  a  full-grown  man. 
They  will  then  be  strong  in  the  Lord ;  and  will  have 
reached  such  a  measure  of  spiritual  growth  as  will 
enable  them  to  receive  and  keep  that  fulness  of  grace 
and  gifts  with  which  Christ  Welshes  to  endow  them. 

When  the  Christians  have  been  thus  equipped  by 
the  Lord  they  will  not  allow  themselves  to  be  carried 
away  like  babes  by  every  wind  of  doctrine ;  but  will 
have  the  mature  judgment  of  full-grown  Christians,  and 
understand  how  to  prove  the  spirits  whether  they  are  of 
God  (1  John  4:1).  They  will  not  let  themselves  be 
tossed  to  and  fro  by  false  teachers,  as  dice  are  thrown 
by  the  players ;  but  they  will  beware  of  such  teachers. 
For  the  false  prophets  are  crafty  and  know  how  to 
present  their  teaching  in  such  a  form  that  the  unsus- 
pecting may  easily  be  led  astray.  We  need  to  be  ani- 
mated by  loyalty  to  the  truth  of  the  Gospel,  and  in  all 
things  to  be  actuated  by  love ;  and  in  that  way  we  shall 
grow.  We  thus  come  nearer  to  Christ,  who  is  our 
Head ;  and  He  becomes  the  bond  between  us,  and  pro- 
motes our  growth,  and  love  is  increased  in  the  Church, 
and  every  spiritual  gift  is  allowed  to  be  developed  in 
accordance  with  the  will  of  God. 

Christians  Must  Shun  the  Vices  of  the  Unbelievers  and 
Lead  a  Christian  Life. 

4:17-5:21.  Now  it  goes  without  saying,  and  must 
not  be  forgotten  by  the  individual  Christians,  that  in 
joining  the  Christian  Congregation  they  have  renounced 
their  former  way  of  living.  The  mind  and  will  of  the 
heathen  are   groping  in  darkness,   and   conscience   has 


309 

been  blunted.  But  they  who  know  Jesus  are  to  put 
off  "the  old  man,"  their  old  nature,  that  it  may  no 
more  control  their  life,  lead  them  astray,  and  bring  ruin 
upon  them.  They  are  to  put  on  "the  new  man,"  whom 
God  has  created ;  a  new  person,  with  a  new  way  of 
thinking,  a  will  turned  in  a  new  direction,  a  new  faith, 
new^  hope,  new  love.  This  new  man  is  in  the  image  of 
God;  and  being  a  result  of  the  truth  in  Christ,  this 
will  show  itself  in  righteousness  and  holiness. 

Therefore  they  must  put  away  deceit,  anger,  covet- 
ousness,  filthy  talk;  and  in  place  of  these  things  be 
truthful,  exercise  self-control,  be  honest,  diligent,  use 
becoming  language,  and  try  to  be  like  God.  Him  they 
are  to  follow ;  for  they  are  His  beloved  children,  and 
should  walk  in  love,  and  shun  all  uncleanness  in  deed 
and  word  and  conduct.  They  should  walk  as  children 
of  light,  hear  what  the  Lord  says  to  them  in  His  Word, 
and  encourage  one  another  with  speech  and  spiritual 
songs,  always  to  give  thanks  to  God  the  Father  for  all 
things  in  the  name  of  our  Lord  Jesus,  and  subject 
themselves  one  to  another  in  the  fear  of  Christ. 

The  Christian  Family  Life. 

5  :  22-6  :  9.  In  their  homes,  also.  Christians  must 
show  that  they  are  God's  children.  Let  them  consider 
the  relation  between  Christ  and  His  Church.  Here 
man  and  wife  may  learn  of  the  one  great  example  what 
love  means ;  and  thus  they  may  learn  to  build  a  truly 
Christian  home. 

And  if  all  is  to  be  well,  the  will  of  God  must  govern 
also  in  the  relation  between  parents  and  children,  l)e- 
tween  master  and  servant.  Whatsoever  good  thing- 
each  one  doeth,  the  same  shall  he  receive  again  from 
the  Lord,  no  matter  what  his  position  may  be. 


310 

Pinal  Admonition  to  Fight  the  Good  Fight. 

6 :  10-20.  The  life  of  the  Christian  on  this  earth  is 
a  continuous  fight  against  strong  and  evil  powers  sup- 
ported by  the  wiles  of  the  devil.  If  the  Christians 
are  to  stand  in  this  fight  they  must  have  put  on  the 
whole  armor  of  God,  and  watch  and  pray  without 
ceasing,  for  themselves  and  for  all  the  saints.  These 
Christians  to  whom  the  letter  is  addressed  are  asked 
also  to  pray  for  their  friend,  the  "ambassador  in  chains," 
that  he  may  boldly  make  known  the  mystery  of  the 
Gospel. 

Conclusion  .\nd  Be:nediction. 

6 :  21-24.  Tychicus,  who  is  the  bearer  of  the  letter, 
will  tell  them  how  the  apostle  is  getting  on.  Then  the 
letter  closes  with  a  "peace  be  to  the  brethren  .  .  .  and 
grace  be  with  all  them  that  love  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ." 

Paul  was  a  prisoner  in  Rome  at  the  time  of  writing 
this  letter.  Probably,  the  reference  is  to  his  first  im- 
prisonment in  that  city;  in  which  case  the  letter  must 
have  been  written  in  the  year  62  or  63.  With  it,  by 
the  same  hand,  were  sent  the  letters  to  the  Colossians 
and  to  Philemon. 


The  Letter  to  the  Philippians 

Concerning  the  Church  in  PhiHppi  and  Paul's  re- 
lation with  it,  see  Part  I,  pages  84-89,  145-146. 

This  letter  to  the  Philippians  is  in  one  respect  much 
different  from  the  others ;  in  that  the  apostle  here  has 
no  complaints  to  make,  and  no  enemies  to  meet.  The 
Church  was  in  a  healthy  condition,  and  the  members 
were  leading  a  blameless  Christian  life.  This  was 
his  dearest  Congregation,  the  child  of  his  heart ;  who 
had  given  him  so  much  joy  and  comfort  in  all  his 
many  trials.  So  the  letter  has  the  character  of  a  loving- 
communication  from  the  spiritual  father  to  his  dear 
children.  He  tells  them  how  it  is  with  him,  lays  before 
them  the  sorrows  and  the  hopes  of  his  heart,  and  calls 
their  attention  to  some  matters  in  regard  to  which  he 
thinks  that  they  might  have  done  better  than  they  have 
done.  Information  and  admonition  here  go  hand  in 
hand.  Therefore  it  is  not  easy  to  divide  this  letter 
into  separate  sections.  One  thought  suggests  another; 
and  we  have  a  beautiful  chain  of  them  strung  together 
in  this  most  lovable  letter. 

Superscription  and  Salutation. 

1:1,2.  Even  in  the  superscription  we  find  a  sug- 
gestion of  the  intimate  tone  of  this  letter.  Paul  does 
not  here  find  it  necessary  to  mention  his  authority  as 
an  apostle :  nor  does  he  make  any  allusions  to  faults 
which  the  Church  should  correct.  There  is  the  most 
cordial    mutual    affection    between    the    apostle   and   the 


312 

members  of  this  Church,  and  all  the  officials  of  the 
Congregation  were  his  intimate  personal  friends.  To 
these  people  he  can  say:  "Grace  and  Peace  to  you," 
without  accompanying  the  wish  with  a  sigh. 

Thanking  God  for  the  Congregation  and  Making  Inter- 
cession for  It. 

1:3-11.  The  apostle  has  many  tender  recollections 
of  his  stay  in  Philippi.  He  here  tells  the  PhiHppians 
that  he  often  thinks  of  the  many  happy  hours  spent 
with  them;  and  that  he  thanks  God  for  all  the  joy  they 
have  given  him  by  their  fellowship  in  furtherance  of  the 
Gospel  from  the  first  day  until  now.  They  have  sup- 
ported him  in  his  work  as  a  missionary,  and  they  have 
cheerfully  sent  money  to  help  the  Church  in  Jerusalem 
(2  Cor.  8:1-5).  This  shows  that  God  has  begun  His 
good  work  in  them ;  and  He  will  surely  keep  them  safe 
in  His  mercy,  until  Christ  comes  in  the  clouds  and  has 
their  reward  with  Him.  The  apostle  always  has  them 
in  his  heart,  and  longs  after  them  in  the  tender  mercies 
of  Christ  Jesus.  He  especially  prays  God  that  their 
love  to  one  another  may  be  even  more  strengthened, 
and  that  they  may  all  the  time  gain  a  deeper  insight 
into  the  revelation  from  God,  and  have  a  clearer  under- 
standing of  life's  many  vicissitudes,  in  order  that  they 
may  discern  and  approve  the  good  things  and  do  that 
which  is  right.  Then  they  will  be  void  of  offense  when 
Christ  comes,  and  be  filled  with  the  fruits  of  righteous- 
ness in  Christ,  unto  the  glory  and  praise  of  God. 

Paul's  Imprisonment  and  Future  Prospects. 

1 :  12-26.  The  apostle  then  gives  them  an  account 
of  himself.  He  knows  that  these  friends  are  anxious  to 
know  from  himself  how  he  is  getting  on.     He  is  able 


313 

to  tell  them  the  good  news  that  his  imprisonment  has 
not  injured,  but  rather  helped  the  cause  of  the  Gospel. 
Even  his  keepers,  the  praetorian  guard  in  Rome,  have 
understood  that  he  is  not  a  criminal,  but  is  in  chains 
for  Christ's  sake ;  and  the  brethren  have  come  to  have 
confidence  in  the  imprisoned  apostle.  They,  also, 
understand  that  he  is  persecuted  for  his  faith  in  Christ. 
This  has  given  them  courage  to  preach  the  Gospel 
without  fear.  Unfortunately,  however,  it  is  not  the 
whole  Church  in  Rome  which  has  this  mind  toward 
the  apostle.  There  are  some  Jewish-Christian  ex- 
horters  who  preach  the  Gospel,  not  because  it  is  in 
their  hearts,  but  because  they  are  envious  of  the 
apostle,  and  are  trying  to  build  up  an  opposition  party 
against  him.  They  are  bringing  discord  into  the  Con- 
gregation in  order  to  make  the  chains  of  the  apostle 
the  more  heavy.  Nevertheless,  since  it  is  Christ  that 
is  being  preached  the  apostle  rejoices  in  it.  even  while 
deploring  that  the  preaching  is  done  in  such  an  un- 
worthy spirit.  But  he  knows  that  this  also  shall  turn 
out  to  his  salvation;  for  the  brethren  in  Philippi  are 
praying  for  him,  and  the  Spirit  of  Christ  is  all  the  time 
near  him  with  comfort  and  help.  His  one  earnest  hope 
is  that  he  may  never  disgrace  the  Lord's  cause,  but 
may  boldly  speak  the  truth  and  magnify  God.  And 
then  it  is  not  important  whether  he  himself  lives  or 
dies.  In  either  case  he  will  be  well  satisfied ;  for  he 
knows  that,  whether  living  or  dead,  he  belongs  to 
Christ.  For  himself  he  would  like  best  to  depart  and 
be  with  Christ.  But  he  feels  that  it  might  be  a  good 
thing  for  his  Congregations  if  he  could  be  with  them 
and  guide  them,  and  visit  them  once  more,  and  have 
the  pleasure  of  spending  some  time  with  them.  And 
he  is  confident  that  he  will  see  them  again,  and  that 
there  then   will   be   great  joy   among   them. 


314 

Admonition  to  Harmony  and  Humility,  After  the 
Example  of  Jesus. 

1 :  27-2 :  18.  Christians  must  always  remember  to 
let  their  manner  of  life  be  worthy  of  the  Gospel,  and  to 
stand  fast  in  one  spirit,  striving  for  faith  in  the  Gospel, 
and  not  to  let  themselves  be  frightened  by  the  adversaries. 
If  they  stand  fast  in  the  fight,  it  will  to  the  adversaries 
be  a  token  of  perdition,  while  to  the  Christians  it  will 
mean  salvation.  And  this  shall  be  from  God ;  for  it  is 
one  of  God's  mercies  when  we  are  permitted  to  suffer 
for  Christ's  sake. 

If  there  is  any  comfort  in  belonging  to  Christ  and 
living  in  communion  with  Him ;  if  there  is  any  true 
brotherly  love ;  any  fellowship  of  the  Spirit,  and  hence 
any  feeling  of  compassion  and  sympathy  with  one  an- 
other; then  the  dear  Christians  in  Philippi  will  gladden 
the  apostle  by  showing  that  they  are  of  one  mind,  and 
are  not  actuated  by  empty  vainglory,  but  by  that 
mutual  regard  and  respect  which  will  cause  them  to 
promote  the  welfare  of  one  another.  Let  them  in  this 
matter  in  all  humility  follow  the  example  of  Jesus.  He 
might  have  appeared  here  on  earth  in  divine  majesty ; 
for  as  the  Son  of  God  He  was  possessed  of  all  the 
glory  of  God.  It  was  His,  and  now  that  He  is  exalted 
He  is  again  clothed  with  this  divine  glory.  But  He 
did  not  count  this  equality  with  God  as  something  to 
be  grasped  and  held  fast.  On  the  contrary,  He  of  His 
own  free  will  emptied  Himself  of  this  glory  and  took 
the  form  of  a  servant,  that  He  might  do  the  work 
which  God  had  given  Him  to  do  (Matt.  20:28).  To 
do  this  He  must  be  found  in  fashion  as  a  man,  so  that 
there  was  no  difference  between  His  estate  and  that  of 
other  men.  He  humbled  Himself  even  more.  He  was 
obedient  unto  death,  the  most  ignominious  death  which 
a  man  can  suffer,  the  death  of  a  criminal  nailed  to  a 
cross. 


315 

Jesus  thus  proved  Himself  God's  obedient  servant, 
who  wilHngly  took  upon  Himself  all  the  duties  of  the 
service ;  therefore  God  has  raised  Him  to  the  highest 
pinnacle  of  honor,  and  given  Him  the  greatest  name 
in  heaven  or  on  earth,  the  name  of  Jesus,  Savior.  In 
that  name  every  knee  shall  bow,  of  things  in  heaven 
and  on  earth  and  under  the  earth,  and  every  tongue 
shall  confess  that  Jesus  Christ  is  Lord,  to  the  glory  of 
God  the   Father. 

Thus  the  way  of  Jesus  led  through  humble  obedi- 
ence to  the  will  of  God  onward  and  upward  to  the  seat 
of  honor  in  Heaven.  This  is  the  way  of  the  Christians 
also :  In  obedience  to  God's  will  they  must  work  out 
their  own  salvation  with  fear  and  trembling.  They 
must  feel  and  understand  their  own  personal  responsi- 
bility in  the  matter  of  their  salvation,  in  order  that  they 
may  not  by  disobedience  or  carelessness  prevent  God 
from  carrying  out  His  purpose ;  and  they  must  put 
themselves  with  their  will  and  their  actions  under  God's 
orders,  that  He  may  through  them  accomplish  His 
good  pleasure :  their  salvation.  This  thought,  that  with 
the  inner  life  and  the  outward  conduct  they  are  in  the 
hand  of  God,  should  help  them  to  drive  out  all  mur- 
murings  and  questionings,  which  steal  their  strength. 
The  Christians  are  to  walk  as  God's  blameless  children 
in  the  midst  of  a  perverse  generation,  and  be  as  shin- 
ing lights  to  the  world,  holding  forth  to  men  the  Word 
of  Life.  Then  the  apostle  will  glory  in  them  when 
Christ  comes  again;  and  it  shall  be  made  clear  to  all 
that  he  has  not  labored  in  vain.  I  stand  before  God 
as  His  minister,  says  the  apostle;  and  the  offering 
which  I  desire  to  place  on  the  Lord's  altar  is  your 
faith.  This  work  is  the  great  joy  and  pride  of  my  life ; 
and  should  my  life  be  sacrificed  in  this  ministry,  I  shall 
still  rejoice ;  and  so  shall  the  Church  in  Philippi. 


316 

Timothy  and  Bpaphroditus  Are  Soon  to  Visit  the 
Philippians. 

2 :  19-30.  Paul  has  good  news  for  the  Philippians, 
which  he  knows  will  make  them  happy :  It  is  his  pur- 
pose soon  to  send  Timothy  to  them,  that  he  may  bring 
back  to  the  apostle  a  true  report  in  regard  to  con- 
ditions among  them.  Timothy  is  a  man  whom  he  can 
safely  send;  for  none  other  is  so  loyally  devoted  to  tbo 
apostle.  The  two  have  faithfully  shared  each  other's 
joys  and  sorrows.  Others  have  sought  their  own.  not 
the  things  of  Christ;  but  Timothy  has  served  Paul  as 
a  son  serves  a  father.  So  Timothy  is  interested  heart,  and 
soul  in  the  welfare  of  the  Churches ;  and  he  will  be  sent 
to  Philippi  as  soon  as  the  apostle  learns  the  outcome  of 
his  own  case  before  the  Roman  court  of  justice. 

Epaphroditus,  whom  the  Congregation  in  Philippi 
had  sent  to  the  apostle  in  Rome  with  encouraging 
words  and  more  substantial  gifts,  has  been  sick  nigh 
unto  death,  and  is  longing  to  go  home.  Therefore 
the  apostle  now  sends  him  back  to  Philippi.  Paul  knows 
that  the  Philippians  will  be  glad  to  see  him.  Men  like 
Epaphroditus,  who  risk  their  life  in  the  service  of 
Christ,  are  to  be  loved  and  honored.  His  health  is 
broken,  and  so  he  is  a  source  of  anxiety  to  the  apostle, 
in  place  of  being  any  assistance  to  him,  and  would 
therefore  better  be  sent  home. 

Let  Them  Rejoice  in  the  Lord,  and  Stand  Past  Against 
All  Who  Would  Lead  Them  Astray. 

3 :  1-16.  Finally,  my  brethren,  says  the  apostle, 
rejoice  in  the  Lord.  It  is  this  joy  which  supports  the 
whole  Christian  life,  and  gives  courage  to  fight  against 
the  false  Judaistic  teachers ;  evil  workers,  who  go  about 
like  hungry  dogs.  They  boast  of  their  circumcision, 
which  in  their  case  has  meant  nothing  more  than  that 


317 

they  have  been  mutilated  in  the  flesh.  But  we,  says 
Paul,  who  serve  God  in  the  Spirit,  and  do  not  seek 
honor  nor  put  our  trust  in  anything  of  the  flesh,  but 
who  have  our  everything  in  Christ  —  we  have  the  true 
circumcision.  In  regard  to  any  "fleshly"  advantage 
Paul  was  in  as  good  position  as  anybody.  He  had 
everything  of  which  a  Jew  could  boast.  But  the  things 
which  he  as  a  Jew  had  regarded  as  gain,  he  now 
counted  loss  for  the  sake  of  Christ;  for  they  would 
have  hindered  him  in  finding  Christ  and  the  righteous- 
ness in  Him.  There  is  only  one  thing  really  worth 
while:  the  knowledge  of  Christ  Jesus  our  Lord.  If 
we.  have  Him  and  are  His,  nothing  else  counts. 
Through  faith  in  Him  we  have  the  righteousness  which 
God  gives  to  all  who  believe  in  Christ,  and  not  a  right- 
eousness which  we  must  strive  to  reach  by  keeping  the 
commandments.  In  this  way  we  learn  to  know  Christ 
and  that  He  is  mighty  to  save,  and  we  experience  what 
the  power  of  His  resurrection  can  do  in  us  and  for  us ; 
but  we  also  experience  something  of  that  which  He 
suffered.  It  is  possible,  says  Paul,  that  I  am  to  suffer 
death,  as  He  did;  to  die  with  Him.  Blessed  hope:  I 
may  with  Him  attain  to  the  resurrection  from  the  dead. 
To  suffer  with  Christ  and  with  Him  gain  the  reward 
of  victory ;  this  would  be  a  gain  which  would  more  than 
outweigh  any  possible  loss. 

But  none  must  think  that  when  he  is  justified,  he 
has  attained  everything  and  is  already  perfect,  so  that 
he  no  longer  needs  to  work  out  his  own  salvation  with 
fear  and  trembling.  No,  this  is  the  exact  reverse  of  the 
truth.  Just  because  I  was  laid  hold  on  by  Christ  Jesus, 
I  press  on  toward  the  goal.  I  forget  the  things  which 
are  behind,  and  stretch  forward  to  the  things  which 
are  before.  There  I  see  the  prize  of  the  high  calling- 
of  God  in  Christ  Jesus. 

All   adult    Christians   must   have    this   mind.      Thev 


318 

may  hold  different  opinions  in  regard  to  certain  ques- 
tions ;  but  God  will  give  them  light  in  these  matters 
also,  if  they  do  but  agree  in  the  one  main  purpose : 
We  press  on  toward  the  goal. 

Warning  Against  a  Worldly  Christianity. 

3:  17^:  1.  Brethren,  be  ye  imitators  of  me.  Thus 
Paul  introduces  a  new  admonition.  In  the  life  of 
the  apostle  they  may  see  what  the  life  of  a  Christian 
is ;  and  they  will  be  saved  from  the  seductions  of  cer- 
tain persons  against  whom  the  apostle  has  before 
warned  them.  These  persons  call  themselves  Chris- 
tians, as  do  the  Judaists;  but  in  truth  they  are  enemies 
of  the  cross  of  Christ.  They  want  no  religion  which 
has  a  "cross"  in  it,  and  therefore  their  end  is  perdition. 
They  live  to  fill  the  belly;  this  is  their  god,  and  their 
glory  is  in  their  shame.  And  with  all  their  soul  and 
desires  they  mind  earthly  things.  There  were  many 
such  worldly-minded  Christians.  But  this  is  not  Chris- 
tianity. The  citizenship  of  the  Christian  is  in  Heaven ; 
there  is  his  home  and  country.  Now  we  are  waiting 
for  Christ  to  come  from  Heaven  with  the  fulness  of 
salvation  which  He  has  promised  to  all  who  believe  in 
Him.  Then  he  shall  fashion  anew  this  our  body,  weak 
and  mortal  as  it  is  under  the  curse  of  corruption,  and 
make  it  like  to  the  body  of  His  glory,  resplendent  in 
the  light  of  Heaven.  Then  shall  we  even  in  our  body 
experience  something  of  the  power  of  Christ. 

''Wherefore,  my  brethren,  beloved  and  longed  for,  my 
joy  and  crown,  so  stand  fast  in  the  Lord,  my  beloved." 

Anything  more  beautiful  can  not  be  found  than 
these  tender  words  addressed  by  the  apostle  to  the 
Congregation  which  he  loved  so  well.  If  any  man 
ever  had  a  heart  beating  with  love  for  his  brethren,  it 
surely    was   the    apostle    Paul.      He    had    the    mind    of 


819 

Christ  in  a  higher  degree  than  any  other  man  whose 
name  we  know.  He  Hved  closer  than  others  to  the 
heart  of  his  God  and  Savior;  and  therefore  he  is  what 
he  is.  This  is  the  secret  of  his  faith,  his  hope,  and  his 
love.  And  he  has  been  able  as  no  other  man  to  clothe 
his  thoughts  in  words  which  make  their  way  to  the 
heart. 

Admonition  and  Thanks. 

4:2-23.  There  were  two  women  w^ho  had  helped 
to  spread  the  gospel,  and  who  now  had  fallen  out  over 
some  matter.  Paul  here  exhorts  them  to  be  of  one 
mind;  and  he  asks  his  true  "yokefellow"  Synzygos  to 
help  them  in  this  matter  and  thus  show  that  he  de- 
serves his  name.    For  Synzygos  means  yokefellow. 

Then  the  apostle  again  exhorts  the  Congregation  to 
rejoice  in  the  Lord,  and  to  let  all  their  requests  be  made 
known  to  God,  and  to  be  diligent  in  doing  that  which 
is  honorable  and  of  good  report;  then  shall  the  God  of 
peace  be  with  them. 

Finally,  the  apostle  expresses  his  hearty  thanks  to 
the  Philippians  for  the  gift  which  they  have  sent  him. 
It  has  done  his  heart  so  m.uch  good  to  see  this  beauti- 
ful proof  of  the  love  which  they  feel  for  him  in  these 
troublous  times.  Under  such  circumstances  it  especi- 
ally warms  his  heart  to  see  that  he  has  such  true 
friends.  And  the  Phihppians  have  always  been  loyal 
friends.  The  mutual  love  between  them  and  the  apostle 
was  something  unique.  They  were  the  only  ones  from 
whom  he  would  consent  to  accept  money  support  for 
himself.  From  them  he  accepted  it  with  joy.  God  is 
well  pleased  in  their  kindness,  and  will  reward  it.  Then 
follows  a  cordial  salutation. 

This  letter  was  written  while  Paul  was  a  prisoner 
in  Rome ;  probably,  shortly  before  he  was  set  free,  hence 
in  the  vear  63  or  64. 


The  Letter  to  the  Colossians 

This  letter,  like  the  one  to  the  Romans,,  is  addressed 
to  a  Congregation  which  Paul  had  not  himself  founded. 

The  city  of  Colossae  had  a  most  beautiful  situation 
on  the  banks  of  the  river  Lychus  in  the  province  of 
Phrygia.  At  one  time  Colossae  was  a  city  of  consider- 
able importance,  but  it  fell  behind  Tvaodicea  and  Apa- 
mea ;  and  now  nothing  but  ruins  remain  to  mark  the 
site  of  the  once  beautiful  city. 

The  Congregation  in  Colossae  was  founded  by 
Epaphras,  whose  home  was  in  this  city  (Col.  1:7;  4 : 
12).  It  is  probable  that  he  had  been  converted  by  the 
preaching  of  Paul  during  the  long  stay  of  the  apostle 
in  Ephesus,  and  that  he  then  went  back  to  his  native 
town  as  a  preacher  of  the  Gospel.  So  it  was  the 
Pauline  method  of  preaching  which  became  the  ruling 
system  in  this  place  ( 1 :  3,  8,  23,  etc. ;  2:1,6,  etc. ;  4 :  1, 
etc.).  As  was  to  be  expected  in  that  district,  a  large 
majority  of  the  Church  members  were  Gentile  converts 
(1 :  21,  27;  2:  11,  13).  The  Congregation  seems  to  have 
been  pretty  large  and  to  have  had  their  meeting-place 
in  the  home  of  Philemon  (Philemon,  v.  2).  Later  on 
we  hear  very  little  of  this  Church.  It  led  a  somewhat 
retired  life  and  did  not  become  as  important  as  the 
Churches  in  Laodicea  and  Ephesus  and  some  others  in 
the  Asiatic  provinces. 

Epaphras  came  to  Rome  while  Paul  was  a  prisoner 
in  that  city  (1:7;  4:  12).  There  came  also  a  runaway 
slave   named   Onesimus.      He   was   well   known   to   the 


a2i 

Christians  in  Colossae,  as  he  was  the  bondman  of 
Philemon.  Both  Epaphras  and  Onesimns  brought  Paul 
some  quite  disturbing  reports  in  regard  to  conditions 
in  Colossae. 

It  was  not  the  work  of  the  Judaists  which  now  was 
the  great  danger  to  the  Pauline  Churches.  A  nezif  in- 
tellectual movement  was  spreading  over  those  districts. 
It  had  a  strong  hold  on  the  minds  of  many,  and  it 
robbed  many  of  their  Christian  faith. 

The  time  was  full  of  religious  syncretism.  The  old 
heathen  reHgions  were  passing  away.  There  were  not 
many  who  believed  in  them ;  especially  not  among  the 
more  intelligent  classes.  These  were  more  interested 
in  "the  higher  thought,"  or  philosophy. 

The  theory  was  then  advanced  that  all  religions  were 
merely  fantastic  expressions  of  certain  fundamental  re- 
ligious and  moral  ideas.  These  ideas  were  the  kernel, 
and  religion  merely  the  shell.  Now  the  shell  must  be 
removed  by  the  aid  of  this  wonderful  philosophy.  Then 
one  would  find  that  every  religion  enclosed  some  pe- 
culiar moral  principle;  and  it  would  be  possible  to  get 
at  the  truth  by  taking  the  best  in  each  religion  and 
making  them   all  one. 

This  idea  came  to  the  fore  especially  in  the  Egyptian 
city  of  Alexandria.  And  from  this  place  it  spread  over 
Asia  Minor.  Then  it  spread  over  a  still  wider  area ; 
and  we  now  know  it  under  the  name  ''Gnosticism/' 

The  people  in  Phrygia,  where  Colossae  was  situated, 
were  known  as  visionaries,  easily  moved  to  fanaticism. 
Two  or  three  hundred  years  later  these  districts  were 
swept  by  a  wave  of  the  fanatical  movement  called  Mon- 
tanism.  But  it  was  Gnosticism  which  toward  the  close 
of  Paul's  life  began  to  bring  confusion  into  the 
Churches.  It  was  Jewish  theosophy  and  Greek  phil- 
osophy and  certain  oriental  ''mysteries"  that  were  to  be 
])ut  in  the  melting-pot  and  made  into  one. 


322 

To  these  false  teachers,  faith  in  Christ  was  not 
enough.  They  wanted  to  come  into  some  sort  of  con- 
nection with  the  mysterious  supernatural  agencies.  In 
their  doctrinal  system  they  had  some  thoughts  bor- 
rowed from  the  Judaism  of  the  time  concerning  God 
and  angels,  and  to  these  thoughts  were  added  certain 
ideas  borrowed  from  the  Christian  religion.  Christ 
was  supposed  to  be  chief  of  the  angels,  and  the  angels 
occupied  a  position  midway  between  God  and  man. 
It  was  important,  then,  to  come  into  communication 
with  these  angels;  and  it  was  supposed  that  this  could 
be  most  surely  done  by  rigid  abstinence  in  the  matter 
of  satisfying  natural  wants  and  desires,  and  by  self- 
torture  of  various  kinds.  Everything  material  was  evil, 
and  should  therefore  be  done  away  with. 

This  philosophic  system  they  presented  with  great 
persuasiveness  of  speech  (2 : 4) ;  and  they  led  astray 
many  who  regarded  their  abstinence  as  an  evidence  of 
piety  (2:23).  These  false  teachers  treated  themselves 
with  great  severity. 

By  reason  of  his  being  a  prisoner  Paul  could  not 
himself  in  person  be  at  the  front  in  this  war;  therefore 
he  sends  the  Colossians  this  letter.  Their  false  wisdom 
he  opposes  by  setting  up  the  true  Christian  knowledge 
concerning  the  person  and  the  work  of  Christ. 

The  Contents  and  the  Line  of  Thought  in  This  Letter. 

It  is  not  an  easy  matter  to  divide  this  letter  into 
sections.  It  is  one  continuous  whole,  in  which  the 
thoughts  follow  each  other  without  any  special  scheme 
of  arrangement.  In  every  part  of  the  letter  the  apostle 
sets  forth  the  true  Christian  doctrine,  gives  his  readers 
due  admonishment,  and  exposes  and  denounces  all 
heresv. 


328 

Thanksgiving  and  Intercession  for  the  Church.    A  State- 
ment as  to  What  Christianity  Is. 

1:1,2.     The  usual  superscription  and  salutation. 

1  : 3-14.  The  apostle  begins  by  mentioning  what 
joy  he  has  had  in  the  reports  from  the  Church  in 
Colossae.  The  members  stand  fast  in  the  faith,  and 
there  is  among  them  a  strong  feeling  of  brotherly  love. 
But  their  faith  and  loA^e  have  their  strength  in  the  hope 
which  is  laid  up  with  God  in  Heaven.  This  the  Gospel 
has  brought  them;  and  the  Gospel  is  the  word  of 
truth  and  the  gift  of  God  to  all  the  world.  This  word 
has  been  preached  to  the  Colossians  by  Epaphras,  and 
they  received  it  in  faith ;  and  thus  they  are  no  longer 
like  the  Gentiles  without  hope  and  without  God  in  the 
world  (Eph.  2 :  12).  But  they  stand  on  the  immovable 
rock  of  truth,  and  not  on  the  loose  sand  of  empty 
speculations.  Among  them  also  the  Gospel  has  brought 
forth  rich  fruit  in  their  hearts  and  in  their  lives.  The 
message  of  God's  grace  is  everywhere  victorious.  The 
reports  sent  him  have  filled  the  apostle's  heart  with  joy. 
Therefore  he  must  needs  give  thanks  and  pray.  He 
prays  earnestly  to  God,  that  the  Colossians  in  these 
dangerous  times  may  be  preserved  from  the  false 
teachers,  who  would  pervert  the  Christian  doctrine  and 
corrupt  their  Christian  life.  And  he  prays  that  the 
Colossians  may  be  filled  with  the  knowledge  of  God's 
will  concerning  man's  salvation,  and  may  learn  how 
God  wants  Christian  people  to  conduct  themselves. 
May  the  Holy  Spirit  give  them  such  wisdom  and 
knowledge.  Then  they  will  understand  that  when  the 
apostle  speaks  to  them  of  "wisdom"  and  "knowledge" 
and  "understanding,"  these  words  have  an  entirely  dif- 
ferent meaning  from  that  in  which  they  are  so  boldly 
used  by  the  false  teachers.  To  him  they  do  not  express 
mere  empty  speculations,  but  the  fruits  of  the  labor  of 


324 

the  Spirit  in  the  hearts  of  men.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that 
the  Christian  Colossians  may  have  the  knowledge  con- 
cerning God  which  is  a  fruit  of  the  Spirit ;  and  it  will 
make  them  able  to  lead  a  life  worthy  of  God's  children 
and  pleasing  to  God,  so  that  they  will  bear  fruit  and 
increase  in  every  good  work.  And  they  will  feel  them- 
selves strengthened  with  the  might  of  God's  glory,  and 
be  patient  in  times  of  afifiiction,  and  thank  God  for  His 
grace  in  Christ,  for  the  grace  which  the  Christians 
have,  and  for  that  which  they  shall  receive. 

It  is  God  who  has  delivered  us  out  of  the  power 
of  the  prince  of  darkness,  to  whom  we  by  nature  be- 
longed ;  and  who  has  made  us  His  children  and  citizens 
of  the  Kingdom  of  His  beloved  Son.  It  was  the  Son 
who  opened  the  way  to  the  Father's  mercy.  None 
other  than  He  could  do  it.  But  that  which  He  has 
done  is  done  for  good  and  all ;  for  the  Father  is  well 
pleased  in  whatever  the  Son  does.  In  Him  we  have 
redemption ;  in  Him  it  is  sure ;  nothing  can  take  it 
away  from  Him.  He  has  cancelled  our  debt,  delivered 
us  from  the  power  of  the  devil,  saved  us  from  all 
danger;  in  Him  we  have  forgiveness  of  sins.  In  this 
way  we  have  been  prepared  to  have  our  inheritance 
with  God's  people  in  the  blest  estate  in  which  all  dark- 
ness has  been  for  ever  dispelled. 

M^^hat  Christ  Is. 

1:15-23.  Our  estate  of  grace  and  our  hope  of 
Heaven  depend,  then,  on  Christ.  But  He  could  not 
give  us  these  things,  if  He  were  not  much  more  than 
that  which  the  teachers  of  Gnosticism  would  make  of 
Him.  An  angel,  no  matter  how  high  in  rank,  would 
not  have  been  able  to  perform  the  work  of  Christ's 
atonement.  Had  Christ  been  no  more  than  that,  there 
would  have  been  no  salvation  through  Him.     However, 


825 

thank  God,  He  is  something  more.  Christ  is  the  image 
of  the  invisible  God.  No  human  eye  can  see  God;  but 
in  Christ  we  may  see  His  exact  image.  When  God 
wished  to  reveal  Himself  exactly  as  He  is,  He  chosr 
to  do  it  through  Christ,  who  in  his  every  feature  is  like 
God.  Thus  He  could  say,  John  1:18:  "No  man  hath 
seen  God  at  any  time;  the  only  begotten  Son,  who  is 
in  the  bosom  of  the  Father,  He  hath  declared  Him." 
And  John  14:9:  "He  that  hath  seen  me  hath  seen  the 
Father."  He  can  be  the  perfect  image  of  God;  for  He 
is  the  Son,  born  of  the  Father,  and  thus  above  any 
creature.  He  was  before  anything  was  created;  and 
hence  He  is  not  one  of  the  things  created.  He  could 
not  be :  for  all  things  are  created  through  Him.  With- 
out Him  nothing  would  have  been  made ;  the  whole 
world  with  all  things  in  it  is  created  in  and  through 
and  unto  Him.  In  Him  is  the  first  beginning  of  all 
things ;  they  are  made  and  preserved  by  Him.  All 
things  must  finally  find  Him;  Him  they  seek,  con- 
sciously or  unconsciously,  as  the  magnetic  needle, 
which  does  not  come  to  rest  before  it  points  to  the 
pole.  He  is  born  of  God,  while  all  things  else  are 
created  through  Him.  Here  is  the  wide  distinction 
between  God  and  His  creation ;  and  it  is  not  true,  as 
asserted  by  Gnosticism,  that  Christ  is  a  part  of  creation ; 
that  all  other  creatures  spring  from  Him,  but  that  He 
is  one  of  them.  No,  He  is  of  the  very  essence  of  God. 
Neither  is  it  true,  as  taught  by  Gnosticism,  that  matter 
is  eternal  as  God  himself.  No :  matter  is  created,  made 
by  the  power  of  Almighty  God  through  Christ;  for 
Christ  is  the  "Word,"  through  whom  God  carried  out 
His  plan  of  creation.  Thus  all  things  were  made,  the 
visible  and  invisible,  heaven  and  earth,  and  the  count- 
less host  of  angels.  In  Him  is  the  l)eginning  and  the 
end  of  all  things.  Without  Him  nothing  could  ])e  that 
which  the  Creator  intended  it  to  be. 


320 

The  highest  of  His  creations  here  on  earth  is  His 
Church.  It  stands  in  a  relation  to  Him  as  peculiar  to 
itself;  it  is  His  body,  and  He  is  its  Head  (Rom.  12:4; 
1  Cor.  12:  12-27).  Without  Him  the  Church  could  not 
have  been ;  and  without  Him  it  can  not  stand.  He 
is  exalted  above  the  Church ;  His  life  courses  throuo^h 
it,  and  His  thoughts  lead  it.  When  He  arose  from  the 
dead  He  took  a  position  which  none  other  can  reach  ; 
He  was  crowned  Lord  of  all. 

More  than  this :  When  He  was  raised  from  the 
dead  He  sundered  the  bonds  of  death.  From  that 
moment  death  has  lost  its  power.  Christ  was  the  first- 
born from  the  dead,  translated  into  life  eternal  with 
God.  And  after  Him  follow  the  long  line  of  the  faith- 
ful in  His  Church.  They  follow  Him  from  the  land  of 
death  to  the  bliss  of  eternal  life  in  Heaven.  For  where 
the  head  is  the  body  must  be.  Thus  has  Christ  brought 
the  life  into  the  world. 

Christ  could  not  have  won  this  great  victory  with  all 
that  it  implies,  if  God  had  not  decided  to  dzuell  in  Him 
with  all  the  fulness  of  the  divine  being,  with  all  God^s 
attributes  and  power.  This  God  did  when  Christ  be- 
came man.  As  He  is  God  from  everlasting,  He  is  from 
His  incarnation  both  God  and  man.  As  such  He  carried 
out  the  work  of  redemption;  by  His  death  on  the  cross 
He  made  peace  between  God  and  man.  Thereby  God 
reconciled  all  things  to  Himself;  sin  was  taken  away, 
and  thus  the  wall  of  partition  between  God  and  His 
creatures  was  torn  down.  A  new  generation  of  men, 
a  new  heaven  and  a  new  earth  are  thus  made  possible. 
Christ  could  bring  about  the  reconciliation;  standing,  as 
he  did,  the  accredited  representative  of  both  sides,  he 
being  both  God  and  man.  This  is  the  firm  rock  of  our 
salvation,  something  entirely  different  from  the  vain 
vaporings  of  Gnosticism. 

So  now  you  also  are  reconciled  with  God,  says  the 


327 

apostle;  applying  that  which  he  has  said  (v.  12-20)  as 
to  the  case  of  the  Christian  Colossians.  Even  them  who 
in  time  past  were  alienated  and  enemies  in  thought  and 
deed,  God  has  once  for  all  reconciled  with  Himself  when 
Christ  died  on  the  cross.  Now  they  have  forgiveness 
of  sins,  and  the  grace  and  favor  of  God,  in  order  that 
they  may  present  themselves  holy,  without  blemish  and 
unreprovable  before  Him;  and  this  they  can  do  if  they 
continue  grounded  and  steadfast  in  the  faith,  and  cHng 
to  the  hope  which  the  Gospel  gives  to  all  who  believe 
the  glad  tidings.  The  good  news  has  been  preached  to 
the  Colossians.  The  Gospel  was  for  all  men;  and  God 
has  in  His  great  mercy  made  Paul  an  apostle  and  sent 
him  out  to  the  great  world  of  Gentiles  with  orders  to 
light  the  torch  of  hope  in  the  places  where  all  was  dark 
and  hopeless. 

When  the  apostle  here  has  laid  so  much  stress  on 
the  body  of  Christ,  the  body  of  His  Hesh,  the  blood  of 
the  cross,  death,  —  the  occasion  of  it  is  the  perversion 
of  the  truths  of  salvation  by  the  vain  speculations,  or 
what  we  may  call  the  transcendentalism,  of  the  Gnostic 
heresy.  As  against  these  false  teachers  the  apostle 
points  out  to  the  Christians  that  their  salvation  does  not 
rest  in  any  philosophical  system  of  mental  gymnastics, 
but  rests  on  definite  facts;  on  Christ,  such  as  He  was 
and  lived  and  suffered  and  died  while  here  on  earth, 
a  man  of  flesh  and  blood.  Our  Savior  is  a  reality. 
Faith  grasps  something  which  actually  is,  and  thus  the 
believer  is  saved. 

Paul  Is  the  Minister  of  God  for  the  Spreading  of 
the  Gospel. 

1 :  24-2:  5.  Paul  was  a  prisoner  at  the  time  of  writ- 
ing this  letter.  Plis  life  has  been  full  of  suffering;  but 
he  is  happy  in  the  thought  that  he  is  suffering  for 
Christ's  sake. 


328 

His  troubles  and  suffering  will  soon  be  over.  He 
can  not  have  much  farther  to  go;  and  "I  now  fill  up  on 
my  part  that  which  is  lacking  of  the  afflictions  of  Christ 
in  my  flesh."  And  he  is  filled  with  joy  because  God 
has  deemed  him  worthy  to  suffer  for  Christ's  sake;  and 
his  joy  is  the  greater  at  the  thought  that  his  afflictions 
are  for  the  benefit  and  the  honor  of  the  Church  (2  Cor. 
1:6;  Eph.  3:13);  for  it  has  been  his  great  happiness 
in  life  to  be  the  servant  of  the  Church.  This  was 
the  place  assigned  to  him  in  the  Lord's  house,  that  he 
should  fulfil  the  Word  of  God,  that  is,  preach  the  whole 
truth.  In  this  light  they  must  view  his  imprisonment  and 
his  afflictions ;  and  not  listen  to  those  who  say  that  his 
sufferings  have  nothing  to  do  with  his  apostolic  office. 

In  God's  Word  the  great  "mystery,"  God's  plan  of 
salvation  in  Christ,  which  had  so  long  been  hid,  was  now 
revealed  to  God's  children.  His  saints.  And  now  God 
had  also  made  known  to  the  Gentiles  what  is  the  riches 
of  the  glory  of  this  mystery.  In  this  mystery  is  re- 
vealed to  us  God's  innermost  being  and  His  infinite  love. 

This  mystery  is  Christ  in  the  midst  of  the  generation 
of  men :  Salvation  for  a  lost  world,  and  the  hope  of 
glory  for  despairing  mankind.  This  was  something 
different  from  the  esoteric  "mysteries"  of  Gnosticism, 
from  which  all  but  the  initiated  were  excluded. 

And  it  was  this  Christ  whom  Paul  and  his  co- 
workers proclaimed,  admonishing  and  teaching  every 
man  in  all  wisdom,  in  order  that  all  might  be  made 
perfect  in  Christ. 

As  Christ  is  the  Savior  of  each  and  all,  so  the  Gos- 
pel is  for  every  man,  and  every  man  is  to  be  instructed 
in  the  way  of  salvation.  All  have  a  right  to  these 
things ;  and  so  it  is  entirely  wrong  when  the  Gnostics 
make  salvation  dependent  on  some  sort  of  mysterious 
wisdom  which  is  known  only  to  the  initiated,  and  w^hich 
these  select  few  want  to  keep  as  a  secret  among  them- 


329 

selves.  Such  is  not  God's  salvation.  This  is  revealed 
to  all  through  the  Gospel;  it  is  to  come  to  the  knowl- 
edge of  all. 

This  is  the  end  toward  which  the  apostle  labors, 
striving  to  reach  it  with  all  the  strength  which  God 
gives  him. 

Though  not  personally  known  to  the  brethren  in 
Colossae  and  Laodicea,  the  apostle  has  suffered  great 
anxiety  as  to  how  they  will  meet  the  false  teachers ;  and 
he  has  prayed  earnestly  for  them,  that  they  might,  be 
comforted  and  knit  together  in  love,  and  reach  a  full 
assurance  of  understanding,  and  know  the  riches  of  the 
mystery  of  God,  even  Christ.  There  is  no  better  pro- 
tection against  error  than  brotherly  love ;  in  that  Chris- 
tians are  united,  and  together  try  to  reach  a  deeper 
understanding  of  Christ.  For  in  Him  only  do  we  have 
all  the  treasures  of  God's  wisdom  and  knowledge;  but 
they  are  hidden,  so  that  only  he  who  seeks  with  all  dili- 
gence may  find  him.  To  understand  Christ  is  to  imder- 
stand  God.  Knowledge  of  Christ  should  therefore  be 
sought  by  all  who  desire  wisdom. 

If  they  have  this  knowledge  they  will  not  fall  into 
the  hands  of  the  false  teachers,  who  try  to  delude  them 
with  the  persuasiveness  of  speech.  But  the  danger  is 
great,  and  hence  the  apostle  gives  them  this  warning. 
Even  if  he  can  not  come  to  them  in  person,  he  is  with 
them  in  the  spirit,  and  he  is  made  glad  by  their  stead- 
fast faith  in  Christ.  This  faith  will  be  a  good  line  of 
defense  and  a  strong  bulwark  against  the  assaults  of 
the  enemy. 

Steadfastness  in  the  Faith  in  Christ. 

2 : 6-23.  Now,  if  the  Christian  Colossians  have  ac- 
cepted Christ  as  their  Lord  through  the  preaching  of 
the  Gospel,  they  must  be  steadfast  in  their  faith  in  Him ; 
be   rooted    in   Him,    so   that   they   draw    their   life   and 


830 

strength  from  Him.  This  is  what  they  have  been 
taught;  and  now  they  should  with  all  their  heart  thank 
God  for  salvation  in  Christ. 

Again  and  again  in  this  letter  (1:  11;  2:7;  3:  15-17 ; 
4:2)  the  apostle  returns  to  this:  Thank  God.  As  the 
letter  to  the  Philippians  is  the  "letter  of  rejoicing,"  this 
letter  to  the  Colossians  is  the  "letter  of  thanksgiving." 
These  two  emotions  belong  together,  and  they  sound  the 
keynote  of  the  Christian  life.  The  prisoner,  awaiting  in 
Rome  the  sentence  of  death,  is  in  spite  of  his  chains 
and  other  anxieties  full  of  joy  and  thanks  to  God;  and 
he  urges  his  Congregations  to  follow  him  in  this  mat- 
ter. The  Christian  heart  is  something  marvellous.  As 
the  afflictions  in  this  world  become  heavier,  the  joy  in 
communion  with  the  Lord  becomes  deeper,  and  grati- 
tude toward  God  becomes  warmer.  The  apostle  has 
experienced  this  in  abundant  measure ;  and  the  experi- 
ence is  a  lesson  to  his  Congregations  and  to  the  Chris- 
tians in  all  ages.  The  apostle  Paul  has  learnt  much  in 
God's  hard  school;  and  he  knows  how  to  admonish  and 
comfort  others  in  the  heavy  trials  of  life.  Rejoice 
alway.     Abound  in  thanksgiving. 

Let  them  thus  conduct  their  Christian  estate,  he  says ; 
and  the  heresy  of  Gnosticism  will  not  gain  any  foothold. 
These  false  teachers  come  with  their  worldly  wisdom 
and  their  mouthy  philosophical  ranting  of  their  own  in- 
vention; but  there  is  nothing  in  it.  It  is  altogether  a 
vain  deceit.  These  fine,  philosophical  phrases,  with 
which  they  would  make  spoil  of  people,  they  have  re- 
ceived from  other  mere  men;  and  the  whole  is  nothing 
more  than  the  "weak  and  beggarly  rudiments"  of  the 
world  (Gal.  4:3,9).     With  Christ  it  has  nothing  to  do. 

The  Savior  does  not  deceive;  in  Him  is  no  empty 
cant.  In  Him  dwells  all  the  fulness  of  the  Godhead 
bodily.  As  God  and  man  He  is  now  at  the  right  hand 
of  God  on  high.     He  not  only  has  all  the  fulness  of  the 


331 

Godhead,  but  he  also  has  a  body.  He  is  not,  as  the 
Gnostics  would  have  people  think,  a  sort  of  spiritual 
figment  of  the  imagination,  but  a  bodily  reality. 

If  they  have  Christ,  the  apostle  goes  on,  they  have 
in  Him  the  whole  fulness  of  God  in  respect  to  a  life 
worth  living,  a  life  true  and  eternal.  They  need  none 
other  than  Him  in  order  to  receive  all  which  God  has 
for  His  children;  and  in  Christ  is  given  them  all  that 
they  need  and  can  receive.  The  frothings  of  the  false 
teachers  they  do  not  need;  these  teachers  have  nothing 
to  give  them.  There  is  nothing  of  this  which  can 
satisfy  them.  No,  let  them  be  filled  with  Christ;  then 
Ihey  have  God.  And  Christ  is  the  head  of  all  princi- 
pality and  power.  He  is  the  Lord ;  and  no  matter  how 
great  and  mighty  the  angels  may  be,  they  are  but  His 
servants.  But  if  the  Christians  in  their  communion  with 
Christ  have  everything  that  they  need  unto  life  and  sal- 
vation, it  is  meaningless  to  worship  the  angels,  or  to 
ask  anything  of  them,  as  urged  by  the  false  teachers. 
If  we  need  angels,  their  Lord  Jesus  will  send  them  to 
help  His  believers ;  for  He  knows  our  wants,  and  how 
they  can  best  be  satisfied. 

But  if  they  in  Christ  have  all  that  they  need  for 
salvation,  it  follows  that  they  do  not  need  circumcision 
of  the  flesh  in  order  to  be  saved,  as  these  same  heretics 
would  have  them  believe.  How  could  such  circumcision 
profit  them?  In  their  union  with  Christ  they  have  the 
true  circumcision,  that  of  the  heart;  alluded  to  even  in 
the  Old  Covenant  of  the  Law  (Deut.  30:6;  cf.  Rom. 
2:29).  This  circumcision  is  not  made  with  hands; 
for  how  could  something  done  to  the  body  by  the  hands 
save  the  soul?  No,  the  Christian  circumcision,  which 
Christ  has  instituted,  is  performed  by  the  Holy  Spirit, 
and  consists  in  putting  oflf  the  body  of  the  flesh  by  re- 
nouncing the  carnal  and  sinful  lusts.  This  circumcision 
they  received  when  they  were  baptized ;  then  they  were 


882 

buried  and  raised  again  with  Christ  (Rom.  6:4);  then 
they  came  into  the  most  intimate  communion  with  Him, 
and  experienced  the  power  of  His  death  and  the  glorious 
fruits  of  His  resurrection.  Then  "the  flesh"  died,  and 
a  new  life  was  born,  the  life  of  faith ;  which  was  created 
by  the  same  quickening  power  of  God  that  raised  Christ 
from  the  dead. 

This  great  change  you  have  experienced,  says  the 
apostle.  You  were  dead  by  reason  of  your  transgres- 
sions and  your  sinful  nature,  and  by  the  uncircumcision 
of  your  flesh.  Thus  you  were  aliens  to  God  and  the 
life  in  Him.  But  you,  even  you,  God  raised  from  the 
dead,  and  gave  you  the  Hfe  in  Christ;  in  that  He  for- 
gave you  all  your  sins,  for  when  we  have  forgiveness 
of  sins  we  also  have  life  and  salvation. 

In  like  manner  as  the  old  circumcision  is  done  away 
with  through  Christ,  and  no  more  has  any  importance 
whatever,  so  also  has  the  Law  been  abolished  as  a  con- 
dition of  our  salvation.  It  was  false  doctrine  when  any 
said  that  the  Law  still  was  in  force.  The  Law  drew  up 
*'the  bond  written  in  ordinances  that  was  against  us." 
Our  debt  was  large;  we  were  hopelessly  insolvent.  The 
Law  condemned  us.  Then  God  took  the  bond  of  our 
indebtedness  and  nailed  it  to  the  cross.  Christ  took  upon 
Himself  the  whole  debt  and  the  curse  of  the  Law.  He 
paid  for  us,  and  He  suffered  the  curse;  and  thus  these 
barriers  between  God  and  us  were  removed.  They  no 
more  exist  (Gal.  3:  13).  Thus  the  Law  can  no  more  be 
i»  condition  of  salvation ;  God  has  in  Christ  done  away 
with  it.  When  we  wish  to  know  whether  or  not  we  are 
righteous  and  have  the  favor  of  God,  we  must  not  seek 
information  in  the  Law,  but  look  to  Christ  and  ask  if 
we  are  in  Him  and  are  justified  before  God  through 
faith  in  Christ  (Eph.  2:  15,  16;  Gal.  2:  15-21;  3:21-29). 
H  we  have  Him,  nothing  separates  us  from  God;  we  are 
His  rightful   children. 


333 

The  great,  victory  was  won  on  the  cross,  and  it  was 
complete.  Christ  despoiled  the  principalities  and  powers 
of  their  armor  and  weapons ;  He  put  them  to  rout,  and 
made  them  harmless.  Thus  God's  Kingdom  came  to 
mankind,  and  His  grace  could  now  rule.  The  spiritual 
powers  can  no  longer  stand  between  us  and  God.  This 
was  clearly  shown  when  God  by  the  death  of  Christ  sur- 
mounted every  obstacle  and  removed  every  barrier.  Sal- 
vation is  the  work  of  God  through  Christ.  It  is  an  ac- 
complished fact;  and  Christians  must  not  let  themselves 
be  induced  by  the  false  teachers  to  place  themselves 
under  the  power  of  something  which  God  has  abrogated. 
They  must  not  be  guilty  of  this  sin. 

Now  that  Christians  are  set  free  from  bondage  under 
the  Law,  they  should  not  lend  an  ear  to  those  who 
would  judge  them  in  respect  of  the  old  rules  about  eat- 
ing and  feast  days  and  the  like ;  for  the  I^aw  and  its 
precepts  are  only  a  "shadow"  of  the  "body"  that  is  to 
come.  But  the  body  which  the  old  commandments 
vaguely  foreshadowed,  is  the  Church,  and  the  Church 
belongs  to  Christ.  Who  will  stretch  his  hands  after  an 
empty  shadow  when  he  can  lay  hold  on  the  body  itself?. 

Therefore,  says  the  apostle  to  the  Church :  Let  no 
man  rob  you  of  your  prize.  Salvation,  which  Christ  has 
earned  for  them,  is  sure;  it  is  laid  by  for  them  in 
Heaven.  The  false  teachers  will  try  with  all  their  might 
to  induce  the  Colossian  Christians  to  come  over  to  them. 
They  will  say  that  little  man  can  not  approach  the  most 
high  God,  but  must  zvorship  the  angels  and  beg  them  to 
intercede  for  him.  And  this,  they  will  insist,  is  evi- 
dence of  humility.  And  they  will  tell  of  revelations  and 
visions  which  they  will  claim  to  have  had.  But  instead 
of  being  humble  they  are  in  the  highest  degree  puffed 
up  with  conceit.  They  trust  their  own  natural  reason 
rather  than  the  Gospel  of  Christ.  They  do  not  hold 
fast  the  Head,  Christ ;  thev  do  not  need  Him.     There- 


334 

fore  they  have  broken  off  relations  with  the  Church, 
His  Body.  For  Christ  and  the  Church  can  not  be 
separated;  to  break  with  one  is  to  break  with  the  other. 
It  is  Christ  who  with  His  strong  bands  holds  the  body 
together.  Life  issues  from  Him :  and  it  is  through 
being  knit  together  with  Him  that  the  Church,  His  Body, 
can  increase  with  the  increase  of  God. 

Being  thus  joined  with  Christ,  they  are  ''dead  from 
the  rudiments  of  the  world."  And  one  who  is  dead 
surely  can  not  subject  himself  to  such  rules  as  these: 
Handle  not,  nor  taste,  nor  touch.  If  they  still  lived 
without  Christ,  out  in  the  world,  the  rudiments  of  the 
world  might  be  for  them,  but  now  they  are  not.  The 
life  in  God  does  not,  as  claimed  by  the  false  teachers, 
consist  in  abstinence  from  meat  and  drink ;  for  God 
has  given  us  these  things,  that  we  may  use  them  for 
our  good.  But  men  think  of  so  many  foolish  things  and 
call  it  deep  wisdom.  When  they  are  not  satisfied  with 
the  manner  in  which  God  wants  to  be  worshiped,  they 
invent  some  worship  of  their  own,  which  has  a  finer 
appearance  and  may  impress  people  as  being  evidence  of 
great  humility.  They  maltreat  their  bodies  in  order  to 
show  that  they  are  altogether  spiritual  and  lifted  high 
above  all  bodily  things.  They  want  us  to  think  that  they 
live  "in  the  spirit" ;  and  that  the  body,  being  merely  a 
hindrance  in  this  living,  is  to  be  submitted  to  torture. 
However,  the  whole  thing  is  mere  empty  talk.  These 
people  are  the  very  ones  to  indulge  their  ''flesh" ;  and 
their  carnal  mind  and  their  vanity  overleap  all  bounds. 

Seek  the  Things  That  Are  Above. 

3:  1-4.  If  you  are  raised  together  with  Christ,  you 
should  bear  in  mind  that  you  are  dead  from  the  things 
of  earth,  and  have  the  life  with  Christ  in  God.  There- 
fore it  is  not  seemly  in  you  to  be  earthly-minded;  but 
you  must  set  your  mind  on  Heaven,  where  Christ  is. 


335 

Now  this  your  life  is  hid,  and  none  may  see  its  glory; 
but  when  Christ  comes  in  the  clouds,  all  shall  see  you 
with  Him  in  glory. 

Put  Away  All  Things  Smacking  of  Heathenism. 

3:5-11.  Being  dead  with  Christ,  they  must  put  to 
death  the  carnal  lusts,  which  flourish  freely  among  the 
heathen,  but  should  have  no  place  among  God's  children. 
For  these  have  put  off  the  old  man  like  a  worn  out 
garment,  and  have  put  on  the  new  man  with  a  new 
rule  of  thinking  and  of  living.  As  this  new  man  attains 
a  stronger  growth  by  the  grace  of  God,  they  will  the 
better  learn  to  understand  what  God  expects  of  them. 
And  where  Christ  dwells  in  the  hearts,  the  w^all  of 
partition  between  man  and  man  will  be  broken  dow  n ; 
all  will  be  one  in  Him,  who  is  all,  and  in  all. 

Lead  a  Christian  Life  in  the  Congregation. 

3:  12-17.  As  God's  elect  and  saints  they  must  show 
a  Christian  spirit  and  lead  a  Christian  life  in  the  Con- 
gregation, Christ  being  their  great  example.  Him  they 
must  imitate,  especially  in  the  matter  of  charity.  They 
must  let  the  peace  of  Christ  rule  in  their  hearts,  and 
the  Word  of  Christ  dwell  in  them  richly.  Let  them 
praise  God;  and  whatever  they  do,  let  it  be  done  in  the 
name  of  Jesus,  and  let  them  give  thanks  to  God  for  all 
His   grace   and   gifts   in   Christ   our   Lord   and    Savior. 

The  Christian  in  His  Home. 

3:  18-4:  1.  Love  and  the  fear  of  God  must  rule  in 
the  Christian  homes.  All  that  they  do  they  are  to  do  as 
in  the  sight  of  God  and  in  the  service  of  our  Lord 
Jesus ;  and  the  heritage  of  Heaven  shall  be  their  reward. 


336 

Sundry  Admonitions. 

4 '.  2-6.  Continue  in  prayer  and  thanksgiving,  says 
the  apostle;  and  pray  for  me,  that  God  may  open  to  me 
a  door  for  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel ;  and  be  at  all 
times  careful  in  your  speech. 

Conclusion. 

4 :  7-18.  The  letter  closes  with  the  announcement 
that  the  bearers,  Tychicus  and  Onesimus,  will  give  the 
Colossians  further  information  concerning  the  apostle 
and  his  affairs. 

Then  there  is  a  salutation  and  the  name  of  the 
apostle  written  in  his  own  hand. 

This  letter  was  written  and  sent  at  the  same  time 
with  the  letter  to  the  Ephesians. 


The  Letters  to  the  Church  in  Thessalonica 

In  regard  to  the  city  of  Thessalonica  and  the  Church 
at  that  place,  read  Part  I,  pages  89-92,  100. 

1  Thessalonians 

the:  plan  of  thk  letter. 

I.    The    historical    part :     Paul    praises    the    Congregation,    and 

speaks  of  his  longing  to  visit  them  again.     1 :  2-3 :  13. 
II.    Admonition  and  instruction.    4:1-5:25. 
Conclusion  and  salutation.     5  :  26-28. 


I.     THE   HISTORICAL   PART:    PAUL    PRAISES 

THE  CONGREGATION,  AND  SPEAKS 

OF  HIS  LONGING  TO  VISIT 

THEM  AGAIN  (1-3). 

Thanks  to  God  for  the  Good  State  of  the  Congregation. 

1 :  1-10.  Paul  and  his  co-workers,  Silvanus  and 
Timothy, 'Send  their  best  wishes  to  the  Church  in  Thes- 
salonica, and  express  their  thanks  to  God  and  their  joy 
because  of  the  rich  life  of  faith  and  love  in  the  Con- 
gregation, and  because  of  the  perseverance  in  hope  of 
this  Congregation  in  the  time  of  trouble.  For  we  know, 
say  they,  that  you  are  God's  beloved  children,  His  elect. 
When  our  Gospel  was  preached  to  you  it  did  not  come 
as  empty  words,  but  in  the  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit; 
and  it  was  preached  in  the  full  assurance  of  faith.  The 
Thessalonians    surely    had    not    forgotten    Paul's    stay 

12 


338 

among  them.  He  made  many  friends ;  and  they  turned 
from  their  idols  to  the  true  God,  receiving  the  Gospel 
with  gladness,  in  spite  of  all  the  persecution  and  the 
affliction  which  they  must  suffer.  All  Macedonia  and 
Achaia  had  spoken  of  how  the  Thessalonians  had  turned 
from  the  worship  of  idols  to  serve  the  Hving  God;  and 
how  they  were  waiting  for  the  coming  again  from 
Heaven  of  His  Son  Jesus,  whom  God  had  raised  from 
the  dead,  and  who  was  coming  to  deliver  His  own 
from  the  wrath  of  God  sweeping  over  the  wicked  world. 
In  verses  9  and  10  we  have  a  short  summary  of  the 
missionary  sermon  which  Paul  preached  whenever  he 
appeared  before  an  audience  of  Gentiles :  Faith  in  the 
true  and  living  God,  and  in  Jesus  His  Son ;  who  died  for 
our  sins,  and  was  raised  again  for  our  righteousness; 
and  in  His  coming  again  to  save  His  own  in  the  last 
judgment. 

Paul's  Conduct  Among  Them. 

2:  1-16.  Paul's  enemies,  the  Judaists,  followed  close 
at  his  heels  wherever  he  went.  They  began  this  on  the 
very  first  day  on  which  he  began  to  preach  the  Gospel, 
and  they  continued  it  to  the  end  of  his  life.  As  soon 
as  he  had  founded  a  Congregation,  and  everything  was 
in  good  order,  so  that  he  might  go  on  to  a  new  place,  the 
Judaists  put  in  their  appearance  and  began  to  slander 
the  apostle  in  order  to  make  Judaists  of  these  new 
converts. 

This  was  the  case  in  Thessalonica  also,  though  the 
Judaists  had  not  as  yet  been  able  to  accomplish  any 
great  results.  In  order  to  stop  them  in  their  work  of 
tearing  down,  the  apostle  reminds  the  Thessalonians  of 
his  own  coming  to  them  and  his  stay  with  them.  They 
must  remember  that  in  spite  of  the  way  in  which  lie 
had  been  maltreated  in  Philippi,  he  had  preached  the 
Gospel   boldly,   without   being   frightened   by   the   pros- 


839 

pect  of  a  controversy.  But  in  the  consciousness  of  being 
a  messenger  from  God  he  preached  the  Gospel  pure 
and  without  guile,  that  it  might  be  pleasing  to  God. 
And  God,  who  sees  the  most  secret  thoughts  of  the 
heart,  knows  that  Paul  had  no  other  purpose.  His 
enemies  slandered  him  when  they  said  that  he  had  at 
any  time  been  actuated  by  dishonest  or  sordid  motives. 
He  had  never  flattered  people;  nor  had  he  used  the 
preaching  of  the  Gospel  as  a  means  of  drawing  money 
out  of  their  pockets.  x\nd  he  had  not  sought  honor 
of  men;  not  even  the  honor  which  he  might  justly  have 
claimed  as  an  apostle  of  Christ. 

It  was  fervent  love  which  moved  him  to  give  them 
not  only  the  Gospel,  but  his  own  life  if  necessaray. 
They  must  remember  how  he  worked  early  and  late  at 
his  trade  in  order  to  earn  enough  for  his  wants,  and 
not  burden  any  of  them.  These  were  the  conditions 
under  which  he  preached  the  Gospel  to  them. 

All  this  they  must  know  very  well.  They  had  seen 
that  he  walked  uprightly  among  them ;  and  they  re- 
member how  with  the  love  of  a  father  he  had  exhorted 
them  to  walk  worthily  of  God,  who  had  called  them. 

Paul  thanks  God  unceasingly  that  the  Thessalonians 
accepted  his  preaching  as  a  message  from  God.  That 
the  believers  had  experienced  the  power  of  it  was 
shown  when  they  were  being  persecuted  by  their  own 
countrymen.  Thus  they  had  become  fellow-suiferers  of 
the  Christians  in  Judaea,  who  also  had  been  persecuted 
by  their  countrymen,  the  Jews.  And  these  Jews  had 
been  true  to  their  traditions.  They  killed  the  Lord 
Jesus,  as  they  had  killed  the  prophets  who  prophesied 
concerning  Him;  and  they  persecuted  those  who  now 
preached  Him.  They  respect  neither  God  nor  men, 
says  Paul.  Now  they  wanted  to  prevent  him  from 
speaking  to  the  Gentiles,  that  these  might  be  saved.  But 
they  succeed  only  in  filling  the  measure  of  their  sins ; 


340 

and  when  it  is  full  the  wrath  of  God  will  come  upon 
them. 

The  Apostle's  Longing  to  Visit  the  Congregation  Once 

More. 

2 :  17-20.  The  difficulties  under  which  the  new  Con- 
gregation labored  caused  the  heart  of  the  apostle  to  be 
filled  with  anxiety  and  longing  to  come  to  their  assist- 
ance. Several  times  he  had  hoped  that  now  he  would 
be  able  to  do  it;  but  each  time  something  happened 
to  prevent  it.  The  blame  for  this  must  be  placed  on 
Satan,  the  origin  of  everything  evil,  Paul  says;  but  we 
do  not  know  exactly  what  the  hindrances  were.  In 
most  fervent  and  affectionate  terms  the  apostle  speaks  of 
his  love  for  this  Congregation;  it  is  the  address  of  a 
father  to  the  child  of  his  heart. 

He  Sends  Timothy  to  Them. 

3 :  1-13.  The  longing  of  Paul  had  been  so  strong 
that,  not  being  able  to  come  himself,  he  had  sent  his 
friend  and  co-worker  Timothy  to  them  from  Athens, 
that  he  might  comfort  and  admonish  them  in  their 
afflictions,  in  order  that  they  might  not  waver  in  their 
faith.     God's  children  can  not  hope  to  escape  affliction. 

Paul  was  made  very  happy  and  thankful  to  God 
when  Timothy  came  back  with  good  reports  of  their 
faith  and  love,  and  told  how  they  cherished  the  memory 
of  their  apostle.  These  reports  made  it  so  much  easier 
for  him  to  keep  up  his  courage  through  his  own  times 
of  trouble.  The  joy  he  feels  in  the  Congregation  at 
Thessalonica  is  a  rich  recompense  for  all  his  anxieties. 
The  only  thing  that  he  can  do  for  them  in  return  is  to 
thank  God  for  all  His  mercies,  and  to  pray  that  God 
may  give  them  an  abundance  of  love  one  toward  an- 
other, and  strengthen  their  hearts  for  a  holy  life  before 


341 

our  God  and  Father,  that  they  may  be  unblamable  at  the 
coming  of  the  Lord  Jesus  with  all  His  saints  on  the  day 
of  judgment. 

The  apostle  again  expresses  the  fervent  wish  that 
God  might  so  direct  his  way  as  to  make  it  possible  for 
him  once  more  to  visit  the  brethren  in  Thessalonica. 


II.     ADMONITION  AND  INSTRUCTION  (4-5). 
Admonition  to  Lead  a  Holy  Life. 

4:  1-12.  The  Christians  of  Thessalonica  have  made 
a  good  beginning  in  their  Christian  life  and  in  the 
setting  in  order  of  their  Congregation ;  but  they  must 
bear  in  mind  that  in  these  things  there  is  to  be  growth. 
They  know  the  Lord  Jesus  and  the  will  of  God:  their 
sanctification ;  and  therefore  they  must  shun  the  vices 
of  the  Gentiles :  lust  and  covetousness.  They  must  lead 
a  clean  moral  life  and  be  honest  in  all  their  dealings. 
God  has  called  them  to  a  life  in  holiness,  and  will  punish 
all  unrighteousness.  To  make  this  matter  of  little  ac- 
count is  to  show  contempt,  not  toward  men,  but  toward 
God ;  who  has  given  them  the  Holy  Spirit,  so  that  their 
own  hearts  also  urge  them  to  lead  a  holy  life. 

Brotherly  Love. 

In  like  manner  God  has  taught  them  the  great  com- 
mandment of  love  toward  one  another.  In  this  they 
must  grow ;  and  it  must  be  a  point  of  honor  with  them 
to  live  quietly  and  not  meddle  with  other  people's  busi- 
ness. They  are  to  work  diligently  with  their  hands,  in 
order  that  they  may  not  be  a  burden  on  others;  and 
they  must  behave  properly  toward  those  who  are  out- 
side of  the  Congregation. 


342 


The  Coming  Again  of  the  Lord. 

4:13-5:11.  Christians  must  not  grieve  over  their 
dead,  as  do  those  who  have  no  hope.  It  is  quite  a 
different  matter  with  the  Christians.  They  must  not 
feel  anxiety  with  regard  to  those  who  die  before  the 
-coming  again  of  the  Lord;  nor  must  they  think  that 
these  are  not  saved.  Such  thoughts  are  not  in  agree- 
ment with  the  Christian  faith.  For  we  beheve  that  Jesus 
died  and  rose  again ;  and  God  will  see  to  it  that  those 
who  are  fallen  asleep  in  Christ  shall  be  brought  to- 
gether with  Christ,  that  where  he  is  there  shall  they  be 
also. 

The  apostle  goes  on  to  explain  this  more  in  detail,  as 
the  Lord  has  revealed  it  to  him.  They  that  are  alive 
at  the  coming  of  the  Lord  shall  not  precede  them  that 
are  fallen  asleep.  At  the  sound  of  the  last  trump,  when 
the  Lord  comes,  tlie  dead  in  Christ  shall  rise  first.  Then, 
they  that  are  alive  (1  Cor.  15:  51)  shall  he  changed  and 
meet  the  Lord  in  the  air;  and  then  they  shall  be  for- 
ever with  Him.     This  must  be  their  comfort. 

Be  Ready  to  Meet  the  Lord. 

None  knows  the  exact  time  of  the  Lord's  coming. 
On  that  subject  the  apostle  can  give  no  information. 
The  Lord  shall  come  as  a  thief  in  the  night  to  them 
who  have  not  made  themselves  ready  to  meet  Him. 
However,  the  brethren  are  no  longer  in  the  darkness  of 
heathenism,  but  have  the  light  in  Christ.  Therefore, 
says  the  apostle,  let  us  watch  and  be  sober,  put  on  the 
armor  of  God,  and  be  on  our  guard;  for  God  has  not 
appointed  us  to  wrath,  but  to  the  obtaining  of  salvation. 
For  this  reason  it  was  that  Christ  died  for  us;  that  we 
might  live  with  him  for  ever,  whether  we  are  fallen 
asleep  or  are  alive  at  the  time  of  His  coming  again. 


343 
Closing  Bxhortations  and  Benediction. 


"& 


5 :  12-28.  As  usual,  the  letter  closes  with  divers  ex- 
hortations. The  apostle  reminds  the  Thessalonians  of 
their  duty  to  esteem  the  leaders  and  teachers  in  the 
Church,  to  keep  the  peace  among  themselves,  to  ad- 
monish the  disorderly,  to  encourage  the  faint-hearted,  to 
support  the  weak,  to  be  patient  with  all,  not  to  return 
evil  for  evil,  but  be  good  toward  all  men.  Their  key- 
note is  to  be  gratitude  and  joy,  resting  on  ceaseless  com- 
munion with  God  in  prayer;  for  such  is  the  will  of  God. 
They  must  not  quench  the  Spirit,  nor  despise  that  which 
the  Spirit  says  through  the  prophets.  On  the  other 
hand,  they  must  not  accept  without  question  everything 
offered  them  as  truth,  but  carefully  prove  if  it  be  from 
God.  They  must  hold  fast  the  good,  and  abstain  from 
evil.  Then  they  may  put  their  trust  in  God;  He  shall 
lead  them  on  the  way  of  sanctification,  that  spirit  and 
soul  and  body  may  be  preserved  blameless  till  the  com- 
ing of  the  Lord. 

Finally,  the  apostle  asks  the  Congregation  to  pray 
for  him,  to  salute  all  with  a  holy  kiss,  and  to  let  this 
•letter  be  read  to  all  the  brethren. 

The  letter  must  have  been  written  shortly  after  the 
visit  of  Paul  in  Thessalonica.  The  plane  on  which  the 
Congregation  stands  shows  that  it  has  but  recently  been 
founded.  The  anxiety  felt  by  the  Congregation  in  re- 
gard to  such  questions  as  that  concerning  the  fate  of 
the  dead  would  not  have  been  possible  among  more  en- 
lightened Christians.  According  to  chapter  3 : 6  the 
letter  was  written  after  the  coming  of  Timothy  and 
Silas  to  Paul  in  Corinth.  This  probably  was  shortly 
after  the  arrival  of  Paul  himself  in  Corinth ;  that  is.  in 
the  year  53. 


344 

2  Thessalonians 

The  apostle  soon  received  reports  concerning  con- 
ditions in  the  Congregation.  We  see  from  the  first 
chapter  of  this  letter  that  the  Congregation  continued  to 
increase  in  faith  and  brotherly  love,  and  that  they  re- 
mained steadfast  and  brave  under  their  persecutions  and 
other  trials. 

The  first  letter  had  rid  them  of  their  worries  in  re- 
gard to  the  second  coming  of  Christ.  But  now  there 
were  other  causes  of  anxiety.  Some  had  conceived  the 
idea  that  the  Lord's  coming  might  be  expected  at  any 
moment;  and  this  caused  all  their  thoughts  and  their 
longing  to  be  all  the  time  busy  with  this  one  thing. 
One  result  of  this  was  an  alarming  tendency  to  shirk 
their  earthly  duties;  they  neglected  their  work  and 
showed  a  disposition  to  become  purposeless  enthusiasts. 

This  disease  of  fanaticism  had  grown  worse  by  rea- 
son of  the  circumstance  that  certain  persons  among  them 
claimed  to  have  received  divine  revelation  in  regard  to 
this  matter.  They  had  even  gone  the  length  of  forging 
a  letter,  which  purported  to  have  been  written  by  Paul, 
and  which  gave  them  his  approval  (2:2)  ;  and  of  course 
they  had  tried  to  explain  his  first  letter  as  endorsing 
their  position,  and  had  quoted  such  passages  as  1  Thess. 
5 :  2,  3;  4:  15,  17  in  support  of  this  claim. 

Thus  it  came  about  that  Paul  found  it  necessary  to 
send  a  new  letter  of  instruction  and  exhortation  in  order 
to  stop  the  false  movement  which  threatened  to  corrupt 
the  Congregation,  and  for  the  purpose  of  encouraging 
them  to  continue  with  a  good  heart  in  the  way  of  faith 
and  perseverance. 


345 


THE  PLAN  OF  the:  LETTE^R. 

Introduction  and  salutation.     1 :  1-2. 
I.    Praise  for  the  Congregation.     1 :  3-12. 
II.    Christ's    coming    again,    and    the    appearance    of    the    Anti- 
christ. 
III.    Exhortation.     2:13-3:16. 
Conchision.    3  :  17-18. 


Introduction  and  Salutation  (1:1-2). 

Paul  begins  this  letter  like  the  first  one  by  sending 
the  Thessalonians  a  cordial  greeting  from  himself  and 
his  co-workers  Silvanus  and  Timothy. 

I.    PRAISE  FOR  THE  CONGREGATION  (1 :  3-12). 

Paul  can  not  sufficiently  thank  God  for  the  Chris- 
tians in  Thessalonica ;  for  the  fact  that  such  a  rich 
Christian  life  is  to  be  found  among  them,  in  spite  of 
their  many  trials  and  temptations.  Their  faith  has  in- 
creased, and  their  mutual  love  has  become  more  fervent ; 
so  that  they  are  a  beautiful  example  of  patience  and 
faith  in  afflictions  and  persecutions  (1 :  3-4). 

Therefore  they  are  to  be  a  living  proof  of  God's 
justice.  Through  tribulation  they  must  enter  the  King- 
dom; but  God  shall  punish  those  who  have  brought 
these  troubles  upon  the  Church.  When  Christ  comes 
again  He  shall  bring  rest  to  the  afflicted  children  of  God, 
while  those  who  have  persecuted  them  shall  feel  the 
hand  of  vengeance  upon  them  (1:5-10). 

The  apostle  therefore  prays  for  them  always,  that 
they  may  be  preserved  and  that  they  increase  in  that 
which  is  good  (1 :  11-12). 

13 


346 

II.     CHRIST'S   COMING  AGAIN,  AND  THE  AP- 
PEARANCE OF  THE  ANTICHRIST  (2:  1-12). 

Here  the  apostle  comes  to  the  point  which  more  than 
any  other  one  thing  has  caused  him  to  write  this  letter. 
The  Thessalonians  need  further  instruction  concerning- 
"the  last  things" —  eschatology,  as  it  is  called.  This  is 
the  case  even  today  also.  In  the  later  history  of  God's 
Church  it  has  not  been  unusual  for  people  to  give  ear  to 
all  sorts  of  loose  talk  on  this  subject,  resulting  in 
scruples  and  visionary  ideas.  The  apostle  issues  a  most 
solemn  warning.  They  must  use  sober  common  sense 
and  not  allow  themselves  to  be  frightened  out  of  their 
wits  by  people  who  preach  that  the  day  of  the  last  judg- 
ment is  at  hand,  and  that  the  Spirit  of  God  speaks 
through  them ;  or  who  tell  them  stories  about  Paul,  or 
even  read  to  them  a  letter  which  he  is  supposed  to  have 
written.  These  people  have  no  word  or  letter  from 
him  for  the  Congregation ;  and  the  brethren  must  have 
a  care  lest  they  be  led  astray  in  this  matter. 

It  is  true,  to  be  sure,  that  nobody  knows  the  day 
or  hour  when  Christ  will  come ;  but  they  must  not  con- 
clude from  this  that  they  may  believe  any  enthusiast 
who  may  take  it  into  his  head  to  shout:  ''Now  He  is 
coming."  For  before  the  last  day  there  will  be  a  great 
falling  away  from  the  Christian  faith,  and  the  Anti- 
christ will  appear.  In  him  will  be  revealed  just  what 
sin  is  in  its  innermost  nature,  and  he  will  be  the  chief 
traitor  toward  the  Christian  religion.  He  will  brazenly 
exalt  himself  against  God  and  everything  holy ;  drive 
God  out  of  His  temple  on  earth,  and  set  himself  up  as 
God.  All  this  Paul  had  told  the  Thessalonians  when  he 
was  with  them. 

However,  before  the  Antichrist  can  appear  certain 
hindrances  must  be  removed.     There  is  already  enough 


347 

of  active  antichristian  wickedness ;  but  it  hides  its  true 
character.  The  mystery  of  lawlessness  is  working,  only 
until  he  who  restraineth  is  removed.  When  that  takes 
place,  when  the  restraining  influence  is  taken  away,  the 
Antichrist  will  show  his  true  shape.  The  Antichrist 
shall  not  be  victor,  however;  for  Christ  shall  come  and 
destroy  him.  Satan  has  equipped  this  Antichrist  with 
all  the  powers  at  his  disposal,  with  signs  and  lying- 
wonders,  and  with  all  the  deceit  of  unrighteousness  for 
them  that  perish.  And  many  fall  into  his  snares,  be- 
cause they  do  not  receive  the  love  that  would  lead 
them  to  a  knowledge  of  the  truth,  that  they  might  be 
saved.  So  God  punishes  them  by  giving-  them  over  to 
the  wiles  of  the  Evil  One,  that  they  should  believe  a 
lie  (Rom.  1 :  20-28),  and  thus  become  ripe  for  the 
judgment,  as  they  had  pleasure  in  unrighteousness  and 
believed  not  the  truth. 

III.     EXHORTATION   (2:13-3:18). 

Hold  Fast  That  Which   You  Were   Taught. 

2  f  13-17.  After  looking  on  the  dark  picture  which 
he  has  just  now  unfolded,  the  apostle  turns  his  thoughts 
back  to  the  great  and  glorious  things  for  which  he  can 
not  thank  God  enough :  the  great  mercy  which  God  has 
shown  them,  when  He  called  them  through  the  preach- 
ing of  the  apostle  to  obtain  the  glory  of  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  and  gave  them  grace  to  increase  in  holiness  and 
faith  in  the  truth.  So  now  they  must  stand  fast;  and 
this  they  do  if  they  hold  that  which  they  have  been 
taught  by  the  apostle.  Then  shall  they  also  receive  help 
and  strength  from  God  the  Father,  who  in  love  gave 
His   children   eternal   comfort   and   good   hope    through 


348 

Paul  Asks  Them  to  Pray  for  Him. 

3 :  1-5.  As  the  apostle  has  them  in  his  heart  and  in 
his  prayers  to  God,  so  must  they  pray  for  him ;  that  the 
Word  of  the  Lord  may  be  preached  and  glorified  in 
other  places  also,  and  that  God  may  deliver  him  from 
evil  and  unreasonable  men;  for  there  are  many  un- 
relenting enemies  of  the  truth,  who  never  will  receive 
the  preaching  of  faith.  It  is  probably  the  Judaists  whom 
the  apostle  here  has  in  mind.  But  he  feels  sure  that 
the  Congregation  in  Thessalonica  will  give  ear  to  his 
admonition  and  instruction;  and  that  the  Lord  will  be 
with  them  and  save  them  from  all  evil,  and  so  direct 
their  hearts  that  they  will  love  God  and  in  patience  await 
the  coming  of  Christ. 

They  Will  Show  Obedience,  and  God  Will  Keep  Them. 

3 : 6-13.  Before  closing,  the  apostle  again  tenderly 
admonishes  them  regarding  the  disorder  which  had 
crept  into  the  Church.  He  urges  them  to  shun  those 
members  of  the  Congregation  who  do  not  lead  lives 
worthy  of  Christians,  and  especially  to  hold  themselves 
aloof  from  them  that  teach  another  doctrine  than  the 
one  taught  by  the  apostle.  They  must  beware  of  idle- 
ness; let  every  man  earn  his  bread  by  his  own  labor. 
In  this  matter  they  may  imitate  the  apostle.  Idleness 
causes  people  to  lead  a  disorderly  life,  and  to  become 
mere  useless  busybodies.  Let  them  do  that  which  is 
right  before  God. 

3 :  14-16.  Discipline  must  be  maintained  in  the 
Church.  If  any  one  will  not  obey  the  word  of  the  apostle 
in  this  letter,  the  others  should  have  no  company  with 
such  a  man,  to  the  end  that  he  may  be  ashamed.  Yet 
they  must  not  in  fanatical  zeal  count  such  a  man  an 
enemy,  but  admonish  him  as  a  brother. 


349 

Conclusion. 

3 :  17,  18.  The  letter  closes  with  Paul's  personal  auto- 
graph and  benediction. 

In  all  probability  this  letter  was  written  not  long 
after  the  other  letter  to  the  Thessalonians.  Both  deal 
with  the  same  difficulties  and  contain  the  same  admoni- 
tions. It  would  seem,  then,  that  this  second  letter  was 
written  during  the  same  visit  in  Corinth,  at  the  time 
when  Paul  was  being  persecuted  by  the  Jews  (3:2). 
According  to  1:4  several  Congregations  had  been 
founded  in  the  environs  of  Corinth  (1  Cor.  1:2;  Rom. 
16:  1).  So  we  may  fix  the  date  of  this  letter  at  some 
time  in  the  early  part  of  the  year  54. 


The  Pastoral  Letters 

All  the  letters  so  far  discussed  are  addressed  to 
whole  Congregations.  The  letters  to  Timothy  and  Titus 
are  something  new,  in  that  they  are  addressed  to  a  single 
person;  and  then  there  is  the  one  to  Philemon,  which 
is  a  purely  personal  and  private  letter.  The  two  letters 
to  Timothy  and  the  one  to  Titus  form  a  separate  group 
and  have  from  old  been  called  the  pastoral  letters.  They 
are  directed  to  Paul's  tried  and  true  co-workers  Timothy 
and  Titus  in  order  to  counsel  and  guide  these  men  in 
their  pastoral  work.  Thus  the  letters  may  be  called 
official. 


The  Letters  to  Timothy 

Timothy  was,  probably,  a  native  of  Lystra  in  Asia 
Minor.  His  mother  was  a  Christian  Jewess  named 
Eunice;  and  his  father  was  a  Greek  (Acts  16:  1 ;  2  Tim. 
1:5).  His  grandmother  Lois  also  was  a  Christian;  and 
thus  he  had  in  his  home  received  a  Christian  training 
(2  Tim.  1:5;  3:14-15). 

Timothy  was  already  a  Christian  when  Paul  on  his 
second  missionary  journey  became  acquainted  with  him. 
It  may  be  that  the  family  was  converted  to  Christianity 
when  Paul  visited  Lystra  for  the  first  time  (Acts  14: 
6-7).  At  that  time  Timothy  was  a  young  boy.  Thus  he 
was  educated  in  the  Gospel  as  preached  by  Paul,  From 
the  time  when  he  met  Paul  in  Lystra  on  the  occasion  of 
Paul's  second  visit,  Timothy  became  the  -faithful  com- 
panion and  trusted  assistant  of  the  apostle.  As  express- 
ing their  spiritual  relationship,  Paul  often  calls  Timothy 
his  ''child."  Timothy  accompanied  Paul  through  Asia 
Minor:  and  then  over  to  Macedonia,  Philippi,  and 
Berea.  Plere  he  remained  behind  for  a  time,  and  then 
joined  Paul  in  Athens.  From  this  city  he  was  sent  to 
Thessalonica  (1  Thess.  3:2);  then  he  joined  Paul  in 
Corinth,  and  was  with  him  there  when  the  apostle  wrote 
his  two  letters  to  the  Thessalonians  ( 1  Thess.  1:1; 
2  Thess.  1:1). 

On  the  third  missionary  journey  we  find  Timothy 
with  Paul  in  Ephesus.  From  this  place  he  was  sent  to 
Macedonia  (Acts  19:  22")  and  to  Corinth,  in  which  latter 


351 

place  he  was  to  help  the  Congregation  in  the  settlement 
of  some  difficulties  (1  Cor.  4:  17;  16:  10). 

Timothy  was  with  him  in  Macedonia  when  Paul 
wrote  his  second  letter  to  the  Corinthians  ( 2  Cor.  1:1). 
Then  he  went  with  Paul  to  Corinth  (Rom.  16:21),  and 
afterward  through  Macedonia  to  Philippi.  After  that 
he  crossed  over  by  himself  to  Asia  Minor  and  waited 
for  Paul  in  Troas  (Acts  20:  1-6).  Later  we  find  him 
with  Paul  in  Rome,  when  the  apostle  was  a  prisoner 
(Phil.  1:1;  Col.  1:1;  Philemon  1).  From  Phil.  2 :  19 
and  following  verses  we  see  that  it  was  the  intention  of 
the  apostle  to  send  Timothy  to  Philippi. 

We  see  from  1  Tim.  1 :  3,  that  when  he  had  been  re- 
leased from  prison  in  Ephesus,  Paul  went  on  a  journey, 
leaving  Timothy  behind  in  Ephesus  to  hold  the  false 
teachers  in  check.  Later,  when  Paul  was  a  prisoner  in 
Rome,  he  wrote  to  Timothy,  asking  him  to  come  to 
Rome  before  the  winter  set  in,  and  to  bring  with  him 
a  number  of  things  which  Paul  had  left  behind  in  Troas 
(2  Tim.  4:9-23). 

In  Hebrews  13 :  23,  it  is  mentioned  that  Timothy  at 
the  time  when  that  letter  was  written  had  been  in  prison 
and  had  just  been  set  free.  There  is  a  legend  which 
says  that  he  was  the  first  bishop  of  Ephesus,  and  that 
he  suffered  death  in  the  persecutions  under  the  emperor 
Domitian. 

Introduction  and  Salutation. 

1 :  1,2.  The  superscription  is  short,  but  suggests  the 
thought  with  which  the  letter  will  deal.  It  is  not  pri- 
marily the  man  Paul  writing  to  his  dear  friend,  but 
rather  the  apostle  writing  to  his  co-worker  and  child 
in  the  faith.  In  the  controversies  in  which  Timothy  is 
involved  with  the  Gnostic  heretics,  it  may  be  some  help 
to  him  to  be  reminded  of  the  fact  that  his  fatherly  friend 
is  one  of  the  Lord's  own  apostles. 


352 

A  Call  to  Arms  Against  false  Doctrine. 

1 :  3-30.  Timothy  had,  as  Paul  here  reminds  him, 
him,  been  left  behind  in  Bphesus  in  order  that  he  might 
take  up  arms  against  the  false  teachers,  whose  doctrine 
was  not  in  accord  with  the  Gospel.  They  were  not 
preaching  God  and  Christ  as  our  salvation  and  hope; 
but  they  were  inventing  fantastic  fables  and  piecing  to- 
gether endless  genealogies  of  the  angels ;  this  foolish- 
ness was  their  religion.  It  leads  to  dissensions  in  the 
Church,  and  should  be  promptly  put  down.  These 
teachers  can  not  serve  as  God's  ministers ;  for  they  do 
not  believe  the  Gospel  of  salvation.  The  Christian 
preaching  is  not  to  deal  in  endless  and  unprofitable 
speculations,  nor  in  wild  flights  of  a  diseased  imagina- 
tion; but  is  to  teach  love,  which  springs  out  of  a  pure 
heart  and  a  good  conscience  and  a  faith  unfeigned,  or, 
in  other  words,  to  teach  the  necessity  of  being  and  liv- 
ing as  a  **new  man." 

But  there  are  some  who  do  not  like  this  simple 
doctrine  of  faith  and  so  they  have  turned  to  empty 
and  foolish  fables.  They  pretend  to  be  teachers  of  the 
Law,  and  they  use  some  high-sounding  phrases  which 
they  do  not  themselves  understand;  even  as  they  have 
no  understanding  of  the  subject  on  which  they  talk  with 
so  much  assurance. 

We  Christians,  who  hold  fast  the  sound  doctrine  of 
the  Gospel,  know  that  the  Law  is  good,  if  it  be  used 
in  accordance  with  God's  will.  But  God  has  never 
willed  that  His  children  were  to  be  under  the  yoke  of 
the  Law.  This  has  nothing  to  do  with  people  who  are 
righteous  (Gal.  5:22).  It  is  the  wrongdoer,  following 
his  own  will  and  Hving  an  ungodly  and  immoral  life, 
who  is  amenable  to  the  Law.  This  is  the  sound  doc- 
trine. It  does  not  abrogate  the  Law,  but  gives  it  its 
rightful  place   (Rom.  3  :  31-8:  3). 


353 

The  heart  of  the  apostle  swells  with  joy  and  grati- 
tude at  the  thought  that  he,  who  had  been  a  blasphemer 
and  persecutor  and  had  done  much  injury,  had  not  only 
found  salvation;  but  that  the  Lord  had  even  appointed 
him  to  the  service,  sending  him  out  to  preach  this  great- 
est of  all  truths,  that  Christ  came  to  the  world  to  save 
sinners.  If  anything  on  earth  is  well  worthy  of  ac- 
ceptation, it  is  this  truth.  Now  ^ unto  the  King  eternal, 
immortal,  invisible,  the  only  God,  be  honor  and  glory 
for  ever  and  ever.     Amen. 

As  the  true  spiritual  son  of  the  apostle,  Timothy 
must  hold  fast  this  pure  Gospel,  in  order  that  the 
prophecies  concerning  him  at  the  time  when  he  was 
dedicated  to  the  service,  may  be  fulfilled  (4:  14;  2  Tim. 
1:6);  in  that  he  with  a  good  conscience  wars  the  good 
warfare.  Some  have  thrust  this  Gospel  from  them  and 
suffered  spiritual  shipwreck.  This  was  the  case  with 
Hymenaeus  and  Alexander;  whom  Paul  had  for  that 
reason  been  obliged  to  deliver  unto  Satan,  in  order  that 
perhaps  they  thus  might  be  taught  not  to  blaspheme 
(1  Cor.  5:5). 

Intercession  for  the  Government. 

2:  1-7.  First  of  all  the  apostle  exhorts  to  inter- 
cession and  thanksgiving  for  all  men,  and  particularly 
for  those  in  authority;  that  we  may  lead  a  tranquil 
and  quiet  life  in  all  godHness  and  honesty.  For  such  is 
the  will  of  God  our  Savior,  who  Vvould  have  all  men 
to  be  saved,  and  come  to  the  knowledge  of  the  truth. 
There  can  he  hut  one  truth;  for  there  is  but  one  God 
and  one  Mediator  between  God  and  men,  the  man  Christ 
Jesus  (Gal.  3:  19).  And  he  is  a  true  man;  not  an  angel 
of  high  rank,  as  taught  by  the  heresy  of  Gnosticism. 
He,  the  man  Jesus,  it  was  who  ^az'^  His  life  as  a  ran- 
som for  all  from  the  guilt  and  the  punishment ;  and 
therefore    there    can    not    be    redemption    through    any 


854 

other,  or  by  any  other  means.  There  is  no  help  for 
anybody  in  the  speculations  of  the  Gnostics.  The  testi- 
mony concerning-  redemption  from  guilt  and  punishment 
is  presented  at  this  time,  now  that  the  salvation  in  Christ 
is  come,  and  the  fulness  of  time  has  arrived ;  and  God 
had  appointed  Paul  an  apostle,  that  he  should  go  out 
into  all  the  world  and  announce  the  Good  News,  es- 
pecially to  the  Gentiles.  This  is  immovably  true;  while 
the  false  teachers  in  question  never  have  received  any 
credentials  from  God  to  preach  their  heretical  doctrine. 

Men   and   IV omen  Must  Conduct  Themselves  in   a 
Christmn  Manner  in   the  Congregation. 

2:8-15.  There  were  other  things  also  that  had  gone 
wrong  in  the  Congregation  at  Ephesus,  which  Timothy 
must  try  to  set  right.  The  men  were  disputatious,  and 
the  w^omen  had  a  passion  for  finery  and  did  not  con- 
duct themselves  with  becoming  modesty. 

Timothy  is  therefore  instructed  to  urge  upon  the  men 
that  they  must  lift  up  holy  hands  to  God  when  they 
offer  prayer  at  their  Church  services ;  and  they  must  not 
make  a  mockery  of  their  prayers  by  wrath  and  a  pas- 
sion for  bandying  words. 

The  zvomen  must  curb  their  love  of  finery  and  other 
vanities.  They  are  to  wear  modest  apparel,  becoming 
to  women  who  profess  godliness ;  and  whose  proper 
ornament  is  not  costly  clothes  and  the  like,  but  good 
deeds.  Women  have  their  mission  in  the  home;  they 
are  not  fitted  to  be  the  teachers  of  the  Church.  Even 
the  history  of  the  fall  in  the  garden  of  Eden  shows  that 
woman  was  not  created  for  the  leadership.  She  is 
more  easily  persuaded  than  is  the  man  by  the  arts  of 
seduction.  She  is,  therefore,  not  to  be  the  teacher  and 
ruler  of  the  man ;  her  life  is  to  be  the  more  secluded 
life  of  the  wife  and  mother.    She  shall  be  saved  through 


355 

her  childbearing,  says  the  apostle;  if  as  a  Christian 
mother  she  ^'continue  in  faith  and  love  and  sanctification 
with  sobriety." 

The  Church  OMciah. 

3:1-13.  Furthermore  it  was  the  duty  of  Timothy 
to  keep  an  eye  on  the  different  servants  and  officials  of 
the  Church;  and  in  this  matter  also  the  apostle  gives 
his  young  friend  some  good  counsel. 

The  office  of  a  bishop,  or  a  minister,  in  the  Church 
is  a  high  calling  and  much  to  be  desired.  But  he  who 
is  to  fill  such  a  position  must  keep  clear  of  the  loose 
and  immoral  life  of  the  heathen.  A  bishop,  or  minister 
of  the  Church,  should  be  the  husband  of  one  wife,  and 
must  be  temperate  and  sober-minded.  A  man  who  can 
not  maintain  order  in  his  own  home  is  not  fit  to  care  for 
the  Church  of  God.  And  he  must  be  a  mature  Chris- 
tian, a  man  of  some  dignity ;  else  he  may  easily  iFall  into 
the  snare  of  the  Devil,  and  come  to  be  regarded  as  one 
not  to  be  taken  seriously. 

The  deacons  of  the  Church,  also,  must  conduct 
themselves  in  a  seemly  way,  be  honest  in  money  matters, 
temperate  and  otherwise  fitted  for  their  position.  And 
the  same  holds  true  of  the  deaconesses. 

They  that  serve  well  will  have  the  love  and  esteem  of 
their  Congregations,  and  will  be  able  to  do  their  work 
with  boldness  in  the  faith  in  Christ. 

How  Timothy  is  to  Behave  Himself  in   the  House  of 

God. 

3 :  14-16.  The  apostle  has  written  these  things,  he 
says,  that  Timothy  may  know  "how  men  ought  to  be- 
have themselves  in  the  House  of  God."  The  office  of 
a  bishop  is  so  great  and  holy,  because  the  Congregation 
is  not  a  mere  worldly  institution ;  it  is  the  House  of 
God  and  has  its  own  domestic  government.  Tlie  Church 


356 

belongs  to  the  living  God,  and  He  has  given  it  a 
unique  and  most  important  mission:  It  is  to  be  the 
pillar  and  ground  of  the  truth.  The  Church  of  Chris- 
tian behevers  and  confessors  is  to  hold  the  truth  unto 
salvation  up  before  the  eyes  of  men,  in  order  that  they 
may  see  it  and  beUeve.  In  the  Church  the  truth  is  safe ; 
none  can  destroy  the  Church  of  God.  It  is  tlie  keeper 
of  the  great  mystery  of  godliness:  Jesus  Christ,  mani- 
fested in  the  flesh,  certified  by  the  Spirit  as  being  He 
whom  He  claimed  to  be,  seen  of  angels,  preached  and 
believed  on  among  the  nations,  and  now  in  glory  at  the 
right  hand  of  God  the  Father  almighty. 

The  False  Doctrine  with  Which  Timothy  Will  Have  to 
Contend. 

4,  1-5.  The  apostle  again  returns  to  the  subject 
of  false  teachers.  The  Church  of  God  is  facing  great 
difficulties;  this  has  been  expressly  revealed  to  the 
apostle.  Timothy  must  therefore  be  .on  his  guard  and 
have  his  weapons  at  hand.  There  shall  come  false 
teachers,  to  whom  the  simple  truth  of  the  Gospel  is 
not  enough.  They  fall  away  from  the  faith,  giving  heed 
to  all  sorts  of  lying  doctrines,  which  come  from  the 
Devil.  Instead  of  leading  people  to  faith  in  God  they 
seduce  them  into  hypocrisy,  though  branded  in  their 
own  conscience  as  hypocrites.  They  put  forward  as 
patterns  of  Christian  piety  the  people  who  do  not  marry, 
and  who  punish  their  bodies  by  abstinence  from  food. 
The  apostle  also  might  have  advised  Christians  not 
to  marry  ( 1  Cor.  7 :  7,  26)  ;  but  that  advice  was  due  to 
the  dangers  and  uncertainties  of  the  times,  and  did  not 
assume  that  people  who  did  not  marry  were  for  that 
reason  any  better  Christians  than  those  who  did.  The 
apostle  might  also  under  certain  peculiar  circumstances 
counsel  abstinence  in  regard  to  meet  and  drink   (Rom. 


357 

14:  15,21)  ;  but  he  had  never  regarded  such  abstinence 
as  indicating  a  higher  degree  of  sanctity.  But  these 
Gnostics  wanted  to  be  regarded  as  more  spiritual  and 
saintly  than  the  apostle.  His  manner  of  life  was  not 
holy  enough  to  suit  them.  They  wanted  to  demonstrate 
their  spirituality  by  showing  that  they  were  independent 
of  the  mere  bodily  demands;  they  despised  the  body  as 
being  the  prison  house  which  kept  the  soul  from  making 
its  highest  flights.  But  the  apostle  was  able  to  see 
through  this  hollow  spiritual  pride,  and  he  stamps  the 
whole  thing  as  sheer  hypocrisy.  Their  talk  about  ab- 
stinence is  very  far  from  being  godHness ;  for  that 
which  God  has  created  is  good.  And  we  must  not  for- 
get that  the  good  things  come  from  God,  and  are  to  be 
received  with  thanks  to  Him,  and  to  be  sanctified 
through  the  Word  of  God  and  prayer. 

Timothy  Is  to  Remain  True  to  That  Which  the  Apostle 
Has  Taught  Him. 

4:6-12.  Timothy  is  instructed  to  put  down  all  this 
talk  of  the  Gnostics  as  profane,  and  old  wives'  fables, 
not  to  be  tolerated  in  the  Church  of  God.  As  a  good 
minister  of  Christ  he  is  to  find  nourishment  for  his 
spiritual  life  in  the  good  doctrine  of  faith  which  he  so 
far  has  followed.  There  is  little  profit  in  self-torture, 
such  as  is  urged  by  the  false  teachers;  but  godliness  is 
profitable  for  all  things,  as  it  has  God's  promise  for  the 
present  life  and  the  life  to  come.  The  salvation  which 
is  worth  all  our  labor  and  striving  is  not  founded  on 
abstinence  and  good  works,  which  may  delude  certain 
shallow  minds ;  but  we  build  our  hope  of  it  on  the 
living  God,  who  wishes  to  save  all  men,  and  will  bring 
safely  home  to  heaven  all  those  who  live  their  life  in 
faith  on  Him. 

Timothy  is  not  to  trouble  himself  with  unnecessary 
anxiety  on  account  of  his  youth,  but  must  so  conduct 


358 

himself  as  to  win  respect.  In  doctrine  and  life  he  must 
be  an  example  to  others,  and  make  good  use  of  the 
gift  which  was  given  him  with  the  laying  on  of  hands 
when  he  was  ordained  as  one  of  the  Lord's  ministers. 
Then  his  work  in  the  Church  shall  be  blest,  and  he  shall 
save  himself  and  them  that  hear  him. 

How  Timothy  Is  to  Deport  Himself   Toward  His 
Congregation. 

5 :  1-8.  Timothy  is  to  use  Christian  tact  in  his  de- 
portment toward  old  and  young.  Especially  should  he 
show  deference  to  the  old  widows  among  the  members 
of  the  Church,  and  see  to  it  that  they  want  for  nothing. 
If  they  have  children  he  must  urge  upon  these  the  duty 
of  caring  for  their  old  parents.  But  he  shall  also  ad- 
monish the  widows  to  lead  a  blameless  life  in  godliness 
and  chastity. 

5 : 9-16.  Old  widows  of  good  report  in  the  Church 
may  be  very  useful  in  the  work  of  the  Congregation. 
But  the  young  widows  are  not  suited  for  such  work. 
They  think  more  of  marriage  than  of  serving  the  Lord : 
and  they  soon  come  to  be  suspected  of  having  violated 
their  pledge  to  work  for  the  Church.  And  there  is 
danger  that  they  learn  to  be  idle  and  to  be  tattling  busy- 
bodies.  It  is  better  that  they  marry  again  and  are  kept 
busy  with  their  own  household  duties. 

The  Elders  of  the  Church 

5:17-25.  It  is  important  to  be  careful  and  tactful 
in  dealing  with  the  elders  in  the  Congregation,  especially 
if  complaint  is  made  against  any  of  them.  Great  care 
must  be  exercised  in  the  selection  of  a  man  to  be  an 
elder;  in  order  to  avert  the  danger  that  something  may 
come  to  light  which,  had  it  been  known  at  the  time» 
would  have  prevented  the  man's  appointment. 


359 

Some  final  Exhortations. 

Chapter  6  begins  with  an  exhortation  to  the  bond- 
servants (6:  1-2)  ;  and  then  there  is  a  sharp  attack  on 
teachers  of  false  doctrine.  These  are  actuated,  declares 
Paul,  by  love  of  money,  ''supposing  that  godliness  is  a 
way  of  gain"  (6:  3-10).  Then  follows  an  earnest  ad- 
monition to  Timothy  to  shun  the  false  teachers  and  their 
hypocrisy,  and  to  follow  after  godliness  and  charity. 
Let  him  fight  the  good  fight  of  the  faith  and  remember 
the  good  confession  which  he  has  confessed.  He  is  to 
live  his  life  in  the  sight  of  God  and  Christ  Jesus,  and 
do  his  duty ;  that  he  may  be  without  reproach  when  the 
Lord  comes  again  to  judgment ;  —  He  who  is  King  of 
Kings  and  Lord  of  Lords;  who  alone  has  immortality. 
To  whom  be  honor  and  power  eternal.  Amen.  (6: 
11-16.) 

After  this  comes  a  reminder  to  Timothy  that  he 
must  urge  the  rich  to  give  liberally  to  the  needy  (6: 
17-19)  ;  and  then  a  final  admonition  to  turn  away  from 
the  profane  babblings  of  science,  falsely  so  called.  And 
the  letter  closes  with  the  short  benediction :  "Grace  be 
with  you." 

This  letter  was  probably  written  during  the  time 
between  Paul's  first  and  second  imprisonment.  Paul 
had  made  Titus  overseer  of  the  Churches  in  Crete,  had 
put  Timothy  in  charge  of  the  work  at  Ephesus,  and 
had  himself  gone  to   Macedonia. 


2  Timothy 

This  letter  is  the  latest  we  have  from  the  hand  of  the 
apostle  Paul.  It  bears  the  stamp  of  having  been  written 
with  death  at  the  writer's  elbow.  An  undercurrent  of 
melancholy  runs  through  it.  The  apostle  feels  the  near- 
ness of  death,  and  longs  for  the  presence  of  his  dear 
son  Timothy  to  relieve  his  loneliness. 

It  was  two  or  three  years  since  the  apostle  wrote 
the  first  letter  to  Timothy.  He  was  now  again  a  pris- 
oner in  Rome,  had  been  once  before  his  judges,  and 
was  now  awaiting  the  final  verdict  (1:8;  2:9;  4:  16)  ; 
and  he  did  not  doubt  what  that  would  be  (4:6).  He 
expected  the  death  of  a  martyr.  The  only  one  of  his 
co-workers  now  with  him  was  Luke ;  and  Paul  was 
hoping  that  Timothy  might  come  and  spend  the  winter 
with  him  (4:9,21). 

Timothy  had  during  these  years  continued  his  work 
as  pastor  of  the  Church  in  Ephesus;  and  it  had  not  al- 
ways been  easy.  False  teachers  had  kept  up  their 
ruinous  agitation,  and  there  had  been  all  sorts  of  un- 
pleasantness;  so  that  Timothy  was  near  losing  heart 
(1 :6-8;  2:  1-13;  4:  1-2),  and  could  well  stand  in  need 
of  some  encouragement.  Therefore  the  apostle  sent 
him  this  letter.  The  imprisoned  apostle,  who  was  wait- 
ing for  the  sentence  of  death  to  be  pronounced  on  him, 
sent  a  message  of  comfort  to  his  young  friend. 

Introduction  and  Salutation. 

1 :  1,  2.  The  letter  opens  with  a  superscription  and  a 
greeting  which  shows  the  love  and  intimate  friendship 
between  the  two  men. 


361 

Thanks  to  God. 

1 :  3-5.  The  apostle  thanks  God  that  he  had  come 
from  a  home  in  which  piety  was  practised,  and  that  he 
had  enjoyed  the  happiness  of  giving  his  Hfe  to  the 
service  of  God  in  a  pure  conscience,  with  no  sordid  ends 
in  view.  *'And  I  remember  you  always  in  my  prayers," 
he  assures  Timothy,  ''and  my  thoughts  are  with  you 
day  and  night.  I  long  to  see  you ;  and  I  have  not  for- 
gotten how  hard  it  was  last  time  to  part  from  you. 
Therefore  it  has  done  my  heart  good  to  hear  of  your 
unfeigned  faith;  which  was  no  more,  however,  than  I 
expected  from  you,  who  were  so  piously  brought  up 
by  your  good  grandmother  and  mother." 

Keep  a  Stout  Heart. 

1 : 6-14.  Now  Timothy  must  not  lose  courage,  but 
stir  up  the  gift  of  God  received  through  the  laying  on 
of  hands  when  he  was  ordained  to  the  ministry  by  Paul 
and  others.  He  must  bear  in  mind  that  the  Spirit  of 
God  is  not  a  spirit  of  fearfulness,  but  of  power  and 
love  and  discipline.  Therefore  he  must  not  be  ashamed 
of  the  Gospel,  nor  of  the  imprisoned  apostle;  but  must, 
like  the  apostle,  be  willing  to  suffer  for  the  cause  of 
the  Gospel.  "Then  the  power  of  God  shall  be  with  us," 
says  the  apostle,  "and  we  will  never  be  forsaken  of  God ; 
who  saved  us,  and  called  us  with  a  holy  calling  to  be 
His  children  and  the  heirs  of  Heaven,  not  according  to 
anything  which  we  have  done,  but  because  He  had  from 
times  eternal  purposed  to  give  us  His  grace  in  Christ 
Jesus.  But  this  eternal  decree  God  has  now  carried  out 
by  the  appearing  of  our  Savior,  who  abolished  death, 
and  brought  life  and  immortality  to  light.  God  has 
called  us  to  have  a  part  in  this  salvation.  And  to  me 
He  has  assigned  the  glorious  privilege  of  going  to  the 
Gentiles  with  this  wonderful   Gospel  message.     There- 


fore  I  am  not  ashamed  of  the  Gospel,  nor  of  my  suffer- 
ings for  the  cause ;  for  I  know  Him  whom  I  have  be- 
lieved ;  and  I  know  that  He  is  able  to  care  for  the  work 
which  He  has  given  me  to  do,  against  the  coming  of  the 
day  when  each  man's  work  shall  be  laid  bare,  that  all 
may  see  what  sort  it  is"   (1  Cor.  3 :  13). 

Timothy  must  in  his  preaching  hold  fast  the  sound 
words  which  he  had  heard  from  Paul,  in  faith  and  love 
in  Christ  Jesus ;  and  he  must  guard  the  good  treasure 
committed  to  him  by  the  Holy  Spirit  dwelling  in  the 
heart. 

Some  Sad  Bxperiences. 

1:15-18.  During  his  imprisonment  the  apostle  has 
had  a  number  of  disappointments  which  have  touched 
him  to  the  quick.  In  Rome  there  were  quite  many 
Christians  from  Asia  who  might  have  appeared  in  the 
court  as  witnesses  for  the  apostle.  But  they  kept  away, 
either  because  they  were  ashamed  of  the  prisoner,  or 
because  they  were  afraid.  He  mentions  especially  two 
who  had  disappointed  him :  Phlygelus  and  Hermogenes. 
But  then,  he  had  been  made  the  more  happy  by  another 
man  from  Asia,  one  Onesiphorus ;  who  came  to  Rome 
and  allowed  himself  no  rest  until  he  had  found  the  im- 
prisoned apostle.  God  will  reward  him  for  what  he  had 
done  for  the  apostle,  and  for  his  services  to  the  Church 
in  Ephesus. 

Dwerse  Bxhortations. 

2:1-13.  The  apostle  again  turns  to  Timothy,  his 
beloved  spiritual  son,  and  exhorts  him  to  seek  his 
strength  in  the  grace  of  God  in  Christ  Jesus.  Only  in 
this  way  can  he  become  strong  to  work  and  to  suffer. 
And  he  must  find  a  number  of  faithful  men  who  shall 
be  able  to  teach  others ;  and  he  must  instruct  them  in 
the  truths  of  the  Christian  faith,  which  Paul  has 
preached,   and   with    which   the   many   who   have   heard 


863 

Paul  must  be  familiar.  As  a  good  soldier  of  Jesus 
Christ,  Timoth)^  must  make  it  the  business  of  his  life 
to  please  Him  who  enrolled  him  as  a  soldier.  It  is 
with  a  Christian  as  with  the  man  who  contends  in  a 
manly  game.  Unless  he  goes  into  it  with  a  firm  resolve 
to  win  the  prize  according  to  the  rules  of  the  game,  he 
can  not  succeed.  So  it  is  with  the  Christian ;  he  can 
win  the  prize  only  by  contending  manfully  for  it  ac- 
cording to  the  rules  which  the  Lord  has  laid  down.  The 
husbandman  must  do  much  work  before  he  can  reap  the 
harvest ;  and  so  it  is  with  the  Christians.  But  when  they 
do  the  Lord's  will  the  reward  is  sure. 

If  the  work  of  Timothy  is  to  be  successful,  he  must 
learn  to  understand  these  things ;  and  in  this  the  Lord 
will  help  him. 

To  a  soldier  of  Christ  there  is  no  better  cure  for 
discouragement  than  always  to  remember  Jesus  Christ : 
who  by  His  resurrection  proved  Himself  the  great  victor 
over  death ;  in  whom  all  God's  promises  concerning  the 
Messiah  have  been  fulfilled,  according  to  the  Gospel  as 
preached  by  Paul.  For  His  sake  the  apostle  endures 
hardship.  The  Lord's  soldiers  may  be  thrown  into 
prison,  but  the  Word  of  God  can  not  be  bound.  Paul 
is  willing  to  endure  all  things,  that  the  elect  may  ob- 
tain eternal  salvation  in  Christ.  Thus  Timothy  may 
learn  from  the  example  of  his  old  friend  that  hardship 
and  suffering  are  the  lot  of  those  who  preach  the  Gos- 
pel. It  is  a  divine  order:  If  we  would  live  with  Christ 
in  glory,  we  must  suffer  with  Him  here.  We  can  not 
have  one  without  the  other.  And  the  saying  of  God 
is  always  faithful. 

A  Pure  Life  and  a  Pure  Doctrine. 

2 :  14-3 :  9.  Timothy  must  charge  the  Christian 
brethren  that  they  desist  from  wordy  warfare,  of  which 
no  good  can  come:  it  does  not  edify,  but  subverts  them 


364 

that  hear.  He  must  also  be  diligent  to  handle  the 
Word  of  Truth  aright  and  shun  the  profane  babblings 
of  the  false  teachers.  False  doctrine  and  a  godless  life 
go  hand  in  hand.  And  among  the  false  teachers  Tim- 
othy must  especially  mark  Hymenaeus  and  Philetus ; 
who  deny  the  resurrection  of  the  dead,  explaining  re- 
surrection as  being  a  mere  spiritual  awakening.  How- 
ever, even  if  some  are  caught  in  the  snares  of  these 
false  teachers,  the  firm  foundation  of  God  stands ;  and 
it  has  this  seal:  "The  Lord  knoweth  them  that  are 
His,"  and,  "Let  every  one  that  nameth  the  name  of  the 
Lord  depart  from  unrighteousness."  This  is  the  Lord 
bound  to  His  Church.  He  knows  its  members  and 
acknowledges  them  as  His  own;  and  they  boldly  con- 
fess their  Lord  and  lead  a  godly  life  in  His  sight.  But 
in  a  great  house  —  like  the  Church  —  all  the  vessels 
can  not  be  of  the  precious  metals ;  there  will  be  some 
which  are  not  an  honor  to  the  house.  Timothy  is  urged 
to  purge  himself  from  these,  and  strive  to  be  a  holy 
instrument  in  God's  hand,  that  he  may  be  to  the  honor 
of  God,  prepared  unto  every  good  work.  And  this  he 
will  be,  if  he  flee  the  lusts  which  are  the  special  danger 
of  youth,  and  strive  to  have  a  pure  heart  and  lead  a 
godly  life.  Impertinent  questions  he  must  refuse  to 
answer;  they  have  no  purpose  but  to  cause  trouble. 
But  a  servant  of  the  Lord  must  be  gentle  toward  all, 
be  patient  in  teaching  and  explaining,  and  learn  to  be 
meek  and  not  to  avenge  an  insult.  He  is  to  correct 
mischief-makers  without  losing  his  temper.  If  God 
should  give  them  repentance,  they  will  learn  the  truth ; 
and  then  they  will  discover  with  terror,  that  they  are  in 
the  snare  of  the  Devil  and  are  doing  his  will. 

But  this  he  must  know,  that  as  the  end  of  time 
draws  near  ungodliness  will  increase ;  and  the  seducers 
will  be  more  dangerous  and  lead  many  —  particularly 
silly  women  —  astray ;  for  they  will  know  how  to  throw 


365 

a  certain  appearance  of  godliness  over  even  the  most 
abominable  vices.  But  in  good  time  their  hypocrisy 
shall  be  unmasked  and  a  stop  be  put  to  their  further 
efforts.  This  is  the  kind  of  false  teachers  with  whom 
Timothy  also  will  have  to  deal ;  and  therefore  he  must 
all  the  time  be  on  his  guard. 

Use  ih£  Holy  Scriptures,  and  be  a  Soldier  of  Christ. 

3:10-4:8.  As  Timothy  has  so  far  faithfully  fol- 
lowed his  fatherly  friend  in  doctrine  and  conduct, 
through  labor  and  persecution,  and  has  seen  how  God 
all  the  time  held  His  protecting  hand  over  the  apostle; 
so  he  must  continue,  knowing  that  such  persecution  is 
the  common  lot  of  all  Christians.  But  evil  men  and  im- 
posters  are  a  curse  to  themselves  and  to  others. 

Timothy  is  fortunate  in  that  he  grew  up  in  a  Chris- 
tian home,  and  from  a  babe  has  known  the  Sacred 
Writings ;  which  are  inspired  of  God,  and  therefore  are 
profitable  to  teach  us  to  know  God  and  the  way  of 
salvation,  to  instruct  the  heart  in  regard  to  sin  and 
righteousness,  and  to  correct  all  errors;  to  the  end  that 
the  inner  man,  which  belongs  to  God  and  is  to  serve 
Him,  may  attain  full  growth  and  be  furnished  com- 
pletely unto  every  good  work. 

Toward  the  close  of  the  letter  the  admonitions  be- 
come more  urgent.  The  apostle  feels  that  he  is  near  the 
end  of  his  life.  He  charges  Timothy  in  the  sight  of 
Jesus,  who  shall  come  in  might  and  glory  to  establish 
His  Kingdom  and  to  judge  the  quick  and  the  dead;  to 
preach  the  Word  as  a  tireless  servant  of  Christ,  in 
season  and  out  of  season,  to  reprove,  rebuke,  exhort, 
soberly  and  clearly.  This  is  to  be  his  work  while  he  lives, 
and  as  long  as  people  are  willing  to  hear  the  sound 
doctrine;  for  there  will  come  a  time  when  people  with 
itching  ears  will   run  after  teachers   who   are   more   to 


366 

their  liking,  and  who  will  feed  them  on  foolish  fables. 
But  Timothy  must  be  sober  in  all  things,  hold  a  steady 
course,  and  fulfill  his  ministry  which  God  has  given 
him,  and  preach  the  good  Gospel  tidings,  even  though 
he  suffer  persecution ,  for  it.  Now  Timothy  must  take 
charge  of  the  work;  for  Paul  is  near  the  goal.  He 
has  fought  the  good  fight,  finished  the  course,  kept  the 
faith.  And  he  knows  that  the  crown  of  righteousness 
is  laid  up  for  him,  which  the  Lord,  the  righteous  judge, 
shall  give  to  him  at  that  day;  and  not  to  him  only,  but 
also  to  all  them  that  have  loved  the  Lord's  appearing. 
Soon  the  apostle  will  be  at  home  and  stand  before  the 
throne.  He  is  ready  to  quit  the  war  and  enter  into 
everlasting  peace  and  rest.  He  has  not  lived  in  vain, 
and  therefore  he  now  loves  to  think  upon  death.  This 
is  the  apostle's  swan-song  of  joy  and  victory  as  he  stands 
on  the  threshold  of  eternity. 

CoNCIvUSION. 

4 : 9-22.  The  letter  concludes  with  an  earnest  appeal 
to  Timothy,  that  he  come  soon  to  the  apostle  in  Rome. 
Then  there  afe  some  instructions  and  requests  of  a  more 
personal  nature,  and  finally  a  benediction. 

This  letter  was,  as  we  have  seen,  written  shortly 
before  the  apostle's  death. 


The  Letter  to  Titus 

We  know  but  little  about  Titus.  He  was  a  Greek 
Gentile,  and  must  have  been  converted  to  Christianity 
by  Paul  some  time  in  the  early  years  of  this  apostle's 
work. 

In  Titus  the  apostle  found  a  talented  and  energetic 
co-worker,  to  whom  was  often  entrusted  work  of  the 
greatest  difficulty  and  delicacy.  In  respect  to  natural 
endowments  he  seems  to  have  been  the  superior  of 
Timothy.  Gal.  2 :  1  tells  us  that  Paul  took  him  with 
him  on  the  memorable  visit  to  Jerusalem.  Titus  was 
to  be  a  hving  example  of  the  uncircumcised  Christian. 
Later  the  apostle  sent  him  on  the  delicate  mission  to 
Corintli,  where  he  was  to  adjust  certain  unpleasant  dif- 
ficulties in  the  Congregation ;  and  Titus  did  it  to  Paul's 
entire  satisfaction  (2  Cor.  2  and  7).  Then  he  rejoined 
the  apostle  in  Macedonia.  The  reports  which  he  brought 
from  Corinth  caused  Paul  to  write  his  second  letter  to 
that  Congregation ;  and  Titus  took  the  letter  with  him 
when  he  returned  to  Corinth.  There  he  also  finished 
the  work,  which  Paul  had  begun,  of  collecting  money 
for  the  poor  in  Jeru.salem. 

When  the  apostle  had  1)een  set  free  after  his  first 
imprisonment  in  Rome,  he  and  Titus  went  to  Crete ; 
where  Paul  left  Titus  with  instructions  to  set  in  order 
the  things  that  were  wanting  in  the  Church  (Titus 
1:5).  He  did  not  remain  there  long,  however;  for  he 
soofi  received  the  letter  from  Paul  urging  him  to  come 
to  him   in   Nicopolis.      From   2   Tim.  4:10   we   see   that 


368 

during  Paul's  second  imprisonment  in  Rome  Titus  was 
in  Dalmatia. 

We  know  nothing  more  of  him.  There  is  a  legend 
that  he  was  the  first  bishop  in  Crete,  and  that  he  died 
on  that  island  at  the  age  of  94  years. 

Th^  Conte:nts  of  the  letter. 

Superscription  and  Salutation. 

1 :  1-4.  The  superscription  over  this  letter  is  un- 
usually elaborate;  and  in  forming  it  the  apostle  plainly 
has  in  mind  those  same  Gnostic  heretics,  against  whom 
Titus  also  was  waging  war.  The  apostle  makes  a  plain 
statement  of  the  purpose  and  foundation  of  his  apostolic 
office.  He  has  been  commissioned  an  apostle  of  Jesus 
Christ,  in  order  that  he  might  lead  God's  elect  to  the 
faith,  and  teach  them  the  truth  which  is  according  to 
godliness,  and  which  gives  a  sure  hope  of  salvation, 
promised  before  times  eternal.  This  it  is  which  Paul 
preaches  in  accordance  with  orders  from  God  our  Sa- 
vior. Therefore  he  does  not,  as  do  the  Gnostics,  in- 
dulge in  profane  fables ;  and  his  preaching  does  not  lead 
to  an  immoral  life  and  a  death  without  hope.  So  now 
he  turns  to  Titus,  his  true  child  after  a  common  faith, 
with  the  wish:  Grace  and  peace  from  God  the  Father 
and  Christ  Jesus  our  Savior. 

Concerning  Elders  in  the  Church. 

1 :  5-9.  Titus  also  has  been  appointed  to  this  work 
of  a  preacher,  and  it  must  be  continued.  For  this  rea- 
son Paul  had  left  him  in  Crete,  and  given  him  authority 
to  appoint  ministers,  or  elders,  in  every  city.  But  in 
his  choice  of  these  men  he  must  be  careful;  find  men 
who  lead  a  Christian  life  in  the  home,  who  show  self- 
control   and   a   friendly   spirit  in   their  conduct   toward 


369 

others ;  and  who  are  able  to  exhort  in  the  sound  doc- 
trine, and  to  hold  their  own  against  the  teachers  of 
falsehood. 

The  Mouths  of  Deceivers  Must  Be  Stopped. 

1 :  10-16.  Only  such  Congregations  as  are  firmly 
:grounded  in  the  sound  doctrine  of  God's  Word,  and 
have  pious  and  capable  pastors,  are  able  to  stand  in 
the  fight  against  the  teachers  of  false  doctrines.  Of 
these  teachers  there  were  many  in  Crete,  and  they  had 
done  much  to  bring  confusion  into  the  Churches.  With 
their  vain  talk  they  had  seduced  whole  famiHes  to 
apostacy,  especially  among  the  Jewish  Christians.  The 
mouths  of  these  deceivers  must  be  stopped  before  they 
do  more  damage  in  the  Congregations.  They  are  ac- 
tuated by  a  love  of  filthy  lucre.  In  Crete  they  have 
found  a  good  field  for  their  operations ;  for  the  Cretans 
were  not  generally  people  of  good  report.  If  one  will 
not  believe  the  testimony  of  others  in  this  matter,  one 
may  believe  that  which  one  of  their  own,  the  poet  Epi- 
menides,  says  of  them :  that  they  are  distinguished  by 
their  lying,  their  coarse  sensuality  and  their  idleness. 
—  It  will  not  do  to  handle  these  people  with  soft  words. 
They  must  be  reproved  sharply,  if  they  are  to  be  made 
sound  in  the  faith,  and  taught  not  to  listen  to  the  false 
teachers;  who  had  taken  some  Judaistic  ideas,  and  out 
of  them  had  spun  some  fantastic  fables,  and  invented 
some  new  commandments  in  regard  to  clean  and  un- 
clean food.  However,  it  is  not  that  which  a  man  eats 
which  makes  him  clean  or  unclean;  this  will  depend  on 
the  state  of  his  mind  and  conscience.  To  the  pure  all 
things  are  pure.  But  if  one  has  an  impure  mind,  his 
whole  life  is  defiled  and  brings  forth  nothing  but  evil 
fruits. 


370 

The  Life  of  Christians  Must  Be  in  Accordance  zinth 
God's  Word. 

2 :  1-10.  The  life  of  Christian  people  must  be  widely 
different  from  that,  of  the  unbelievers.  Titus  must 
point  out  to  all  what  a  godly  life  really  is  when  it  is 
grounded  in  the  sound  doctrine.  Regarding  this  he 
must  instruct  old  and  young,  men  and  women,  masters 
and  servants ;  that  they  may  learn  to  live  in  accordance 
with  God's  Word. 

The  Gra^e  of  God  Results  in  Holiness  of  Life. 

2:  11-15.  It  is  for  the  purpose  of  enabling  us  to 
lead  a  holy  life,  that  God  reveals  His  grace.  The  grace 
of  God  is  for  the  salvation  of  all  men.  It  would  in- 
struct us  to  deny  ungodliness  and  worldly  lusts  and  to 
live  a  godly  life  in  the  present  world;  while  in  hope  we 
look  forward  to  the  day  on  which  God  shall  fulfil  all  his 
promises  in  Christ;  who  gave  His  life  to  redeem  us 
from  all  iniquity,  and  purify  unto  Himself  a  people  for 
his  own  possession,  zealous  of  good  works.  This  is  the 
goal  aimed  at  by  God's  whole  dispensation  of  grace. 
And  this  truth  Titus  is  to  teach  with  all  authority 
against  the  Gnostic  heresies  in  regard  to  doctrine  and 
conduct. 

The  New  Life  Must  Manifest  Itself  in  Humility  and 
Meekness. 

3 :  1-7.  Titus  must  remind  the  Christians  in  Crete 
that  Christian  people  are  to  obey  the  authorities,  and  to 
live  in  peace  with  their  fellowmen.  In  this  matter  the 
people  of  Crete  seem  to  have  been  found  wanting,  self- 
willed  and  quarrelsome  as  they  were.  They  are  to  re- 
member, that  through  God's  goodness  and  love  toward 
all  men  they  have  been  saved  from  their  former  life  of 
sin  and  shame,  and  have  been  made  children  of  God 


371 

and  heirs  to  eternal  life.  And  this  change  did  not  take 
place  in  them  or  any  others  by  reason  of  their  own 
works  of  righteousness;  for  they  had  no  such  works  to 
put  forward.  But  God  took  pity  on  us ;  and  in  holy 
Baptism  we  were  born  again  of  the  Spirit  to  a  new  life. 
Then  our  Savior,  having  ascended  into  Heaven,  poured 
His  Spirit  in  full  measure  upon  us  (2  Cor.  3:3-17); 
to  the  end  that  by  His  saving  grace  we  might  stand 
justified  before  God,  and  be  made  heirs  according  to  the 
hope  of  eternal  Hfe  (Eph.  2).  The  thought  of  God's 
mercy  should  create  in  us  the  humble  mind  which  alone 
is  seemly  in  the  Christian. 

3:  8-15.  Once  more  the  apostle  repeats  to  them  that 
believe  in  God  the  exhortation  to  live  a  godly  life  and 
shun  the  oft-mentioned  foolish  questionings ;  and  then 
the  letter  closes  with  an  appeal  to  Titus  to  come  to  the 
apostJe  in  Nicopolis,  in  Epirus  on  the  Adriatic,  where 
the  apostle  planned  to  spend  the  winter.  Then  there  is 
a  salutation  and  after  that  a  "grace  be  with  you  all." 

The  letter  was  written,  probably,  in  the  fall  of  the 
year  65. 


The  Letter  to  Philemon 

This  short,  and  beautiful  letter  has  been  much  ad- 
mired by  both  Christians  and  infidels.  The  famous 
Frenchman  Ernst  Renan  calls  it  a  ''true  masterpiece" ; 
and  Holtzmann,  the  German  scholar,  says  of  it  that  it 
is  a  ''model  of  delicacy,  tact,  and  lovableness/' 

In  this  letter  we  see  the  character  of  the  great 
Gentile  apostle  from  a  new  angle.  He,  who  could 
fight  so  valiantly  against  heretics  and  all  manner  of 
wickedness,  also  understand  the  art  of  using  the  utmost 
delicacy  with  even  an  admixture  of  harmless  pleasantry 
(18,19).  It  is  a  kind  and  lovable  heart  which  speaks 
to  us  in  every  line  of  this  letter. 

Philemon  was  one  of  Paul's  very  dear  friends.  His 
home  was  in  Colossae,  and  he  had  been  converted  to 
Christianity  by  the  preaching  of  Paul.  He  became  a 
zealous  Christian,  was  a  dihgent  worker  in  the  Church, 
and  may  have  been  a  minister,  or  elder,  in  the  Congre- 
gation jointly  with  Archippus.  The  Congregation  held 
their  meetings  in  his  house.  We  know  nothing  more 
about  him.  There  is  a  legend,  that  he  was  bishop  of 
Colossae  and  died  as  a  martyr  in  the  persecutions  under 
the  unspeakable  Nero. 

Philemon's  bondservant,  or  slave,  Onesimus  had  been 
guilty  of  some  misdemeanor  toward  him,  and  had  fled 
to  escape  punishment.  This  runaway  slave  made  his 
way  to  Rome.  There  he  fell  in  with  Paul,  who  was  then 
a  prisoner;  and  he  was  converted  to  the  Christian  faith, 
and  Paul  came  to  be  very  fond  of  him. 


Now,  when  Tychicus  was  to  go  to  Colossae  with  the 
letter  which  Paul  had  written  to  the  Church  at  that 
place,  Paul  advised  Onesimus  to  go  with  Tychicus ; 
and  he  sent  by  him  this  letter  to  his  master,  bespeaking 
for  Onesimus  a  kind  reception. 

1-3.  The  imprisoned  apostle  sends  this  letter  to  his 
dear  friend  and  fellow-worker,  with  a  greeting  to  his 
wife;  and  to  Archippus,  who  was  the  minister  of  the 
Colossian  Church  (Col.  4:  17),  and  is  said  to  have  been 
the  son  of  Philemon;  and  to  the  Church  in  Philemon's 
house. 

4-7.  In  words  full  of  love  the  apostle  speaks  of 
his  joy  in  the  good  reputation  of  Philemon  for  Chris- 
tian faith  and  charity,  and  in  the  hearty  good-will  be- 
tween him  and  the  other  members  of  the  Congregation. 

8-21.  Paul  feels  sure  that  his  dear  friend  will  take 
it  in  good  part  when  he,  Paul  —  his  old  friend  and  now 
a  prisoner  of  Christ  —  now  begs  him  to  receive  his  run- 
away servant  with  forgiveness  and  love.  Onesimus 
comes  home  as  a  new  man.  Formerly  he  had  not  been 
very  useful  to  his  master;  but  now  this  is  all  changed. 
Paul  would  have  liked  to  keep  Onesimus  with  him  as  a 
dear  friend  and  servant,  but  did  not,  want  to  do  it 
without  the  consent  of  Philemon.  So  now  Philemon 
must  receive  Onesimus  as  a  brother  in  the  Lord;  a 
brother  whom  he  will  never  again  lose.  Therefore  he 
must  receive  his  servant  as  he  would  have  received  Paul 
himself.  "And  if  he  owe  thee  aught,"  says  Paul,  "put 
that  to  mine  account."  Paul  is  willing  to  be  in  the  debt 
of  Philemon,  even  as  Philemon  is  in  the  debt  of  his 
spiritual  father  Paul.  So  the  account  may  balance.  The 
name  Onesimus  means :  Profitable ;  and  there  is  here  a 
play  on  this  name:  Be  profitable  to  me,  as  he  is  to  you. 
Paul  does  not  doubt  that  Philemon  will  do  what  he 
asks  of  him. 

22-25.     The  letter  closes  with  a  greeting  from  the 


374 

apostle   and   the   friends  with   him,   and   then   with   the 
usual  benediction. 

This  letter  is  in  many  respects  something  apart  from 
the  others.  Paul  does  not  say  that  Philemon  must  set 
his  servant  free,  but  that  he  must  treat  him  as  a  brother 
in  Christ  In  other  places  (Eph.  6:9;  Col.  4:1)  he 
exhorts  the  Christian  masters  to  treat  their  slaves  with 
kindness.  In  this  way  Christianity  brought  rehef  to  the 
bondservants.  The  heathen  masters  treated  them  as 
dumb  brutes ;  and  this  the  Christians  could  not  do.  And 
Paul  exhorts  the  servants  to  remain  as  they  are,  and  to 
serve  their  masters  faithfully  (1  Tim.  6:1;  1  Cor.  7: 
21 ) .  But  the  Gospel  of  St.  Paul  ( Gal.  3  :  28 ;  Col.  3:11) 
would   some   time   necessarily   lead   to   the   abolition   of 

slavery. 

5K        ^:        >;: 

We  have  now  finished  with  the  life-work  of  the  great 
apostle.  No  man  has  ever  occupied  a  more  difficult  or 
more  important  position  than  he.  His  soul  was  filled 
with  the  most  profound  problems;  and  with  God's  help 
he  was  able  to  point  out  to  coming  generations  till  the 
end  of  time  the  way  to  God  through  faith  in  the  grace 
in  Christ  Jesus.  Paul  is  the  foremost  man  in  God's 
Kingdom.  Through  him  Christianity  emerged  out  of 
Judaism  and  became  a  world  religion. 

Let  me  close  my  presentation  of  Paul  by  quoting 
the  beautiful  words  of  the  brilliant  Godet :  ''If  it  be 
true  that  a  man  is  great  after  the  measure  in  which  the 
contradictions  united  in  his  person  are  great  and  mani- 
fold, then  there  has  perhaps  never  lived  a  man  on  earth 
who  could  bear  comparison  with  Paul.  A  man  with  the 
broadest  vision  and  the  keenest  intellect ;  a  man  most 
deep  and  tender  in  his  sympathies,  yet  always  immov- 
ably sober  in  his  judgments ;  a  man  in  whom  the  most 
brilliant  intellectual  gifts  were  united  with  the  kindest 
heart   and   the   deepest    feelings  —  we   may    understand 


that  Christ  had  need  of  such  an  instrument  to  carry  on 
the  greatest  work  in  the  world  after  His  own;  and  that 
Christ,  there  being  no  other  way,  took  Paul  as  His 
servant  by  main  force." 

We  can  do  no  greater  service  to  the  Church  of  God 
than  to  hold  up  the  Pauline  Gospel  in  all  its  shinin": 
splendor  before  the  eyes  of  mankind. 


About  the  Author  of  This  Work 

The  author  of  this  work  on  Paul  and  his  letters,  Rev.  Prof. 
Erik  Kristian  Johnsen,  was  born  in  Stavanger,  Norway,  in  1863, 
and  is  a  graduate  in  theolog}^  from  the  university  at  Christiania. 
At  the  age  of  29  he  emigrated,  and  has  now  for  more  than  a 
quarter  of  a  century  been  a  teacher  in  the  Norwegian  Lutheran 
Church  of  America.  He  was  for  some  years  a  professor  in  the 
theological  seminary  at  Red  Wing,  Minn.  Then  he  served  for 
three  years  as  pastor  at  Ellsworth,  Wis.,  and  since  1900  he  has 
been  a  professor  in  the  theological  seminary  of  the  Lutheran 
Church  at  St.  Anthony  Park,  St.  Paul.  He  is  known  as  a  keen 
scholar  and  a  most  lovable  Christian  gentleman. 

As  a  teacher  he  has  devoted  himself,  during  the  years  1887- 
1900,  especially  to  a  thorough  study  of  the  apostle  Paul  and  his 
letters;  and  many  of  his  students  have  urged  him  to  publish  his 
lectures  on  these  subjects.  This  he  did  in  1917,  thus  making  his 
book  a  souvenir  of  the  qnadri-centennial  of  the  Lutheran  Refor- 
mation. 

Of  late  years  Prof.  Johnsen  has  been  studying  the  old  history 
of  Israel,  and  the  Prophets,  and  has  also  delved  into  Babylonian 
and  Assyrian  history;  and  on  these  and  kindred  subjects  he  has 
published  many  brochures  and  pamphlets.  In  connection  with 
his  work  as  teacher  and  preacher  he  has  been  a  prolific  and 
versatile  author. 

The  present  volume  is  most  interesting  as  coming  from  the 
pen  of  a  devout  and  careful  theological  scholar. 

Peer  StrjzJmme. 


Princeton  Theological  Seminary,, Libraries 


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